Ryukyu spiny rat (English spelling)

Japanese: トゲネズミ(棘鼠) - トゲネズミ（英語表記）Ryukyu spiny rat

A spiny mouse that belongs to the order Rodentia, family Muridae, subfamily Murinae. Also known as the Ryukyu spiny mouse. Found only on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima in the Ryukyu Islands, and on Okinawa Island. Body length 12.5-17.5cm, tail length 10-12.5cm, weight 90-120g. It resembles the Japanese field mouse, but its body is stocky and round, with short limbs and tail. Its orange fur is mixed with dark gray needle-like hairs, making its body appear orange-brown. The needle-like hairs are about 2cm long, hard and sharp at the tip, and flat and wide in the middle.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

体にトゲをもつネズミで，齧歯（げつし）目ネズミ科ネズミ亜科に属する。リュウキュウトゲネズミともいう。南西諸島の奄美大島，徳之島および沖縄本島にだけ分布する。体長12.5～17.5cm，尾長10～12.5cm，体重90～120g。アカネズミに似るが，体はずんぐりと丸く，四肢や尾が短い。橙色の体毛に暗灰色の針状毛を混生し，体は橙褐色に見える。針状毛は長さ2cmほどで，硬く先が鋭く，中央は扁平で幅が広い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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