What is the name of the largest rat in the world? - briefly
The largest rat known is the New Guinea giant rat, scientifically Uromys anak. It can reach a total length of about 60 cm and weigh up to 2 kg.
What is the name of the largest rat in the world? - in detail
The record holder for size among rodents classified as rats is the Bosavi woolly rat. Discovered in 2009 during an expedition to the Bosavi volcanic crater in Papua New Guinea, the animal belongs to the genus Mallomys and is often referred to as the Bosavi giant rat.
Key characteristics:
- Total length up to 82 cm (including a tail of roughly 30 cm).
- Body mass reaching 1.5 kg, considerably larger than typical Rattus species.
- Dense, coarse fur that provides insulation in the high‑altitude cloud forest where it lives.
- Herbivorous diet consisting mainly of leaves, fruits, and moss.
Taxonomy:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Muridae
- Genus: Mallomys
- Species: currently undescribed; identified as a new species within the genus.
Habitat and behavior:
- Restricted to the isolated montane rainforest surrounding the Bosavi crater, at elevations of 1,600–2,200 m.
- Nocturnal and solitary, constructing shallow burrows beneath leaf litter.
- Reproductive cycle similar to other Muridae, with litters of 2–4 young after a gestation of about 30 days.
Conservation status:
- Limited range makes the species vulnerable to habitat loss and hunting.
- Classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN pending further population assessments.
The Bosavi woolly rat represents the maximum dimensions recorded for any rat‑type rodent, surpassing the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) in both length and mass. Its discovery expanded scientific understanding of rodent diversity in isolated high‑land ecosystems.