Tome's Spiny Rat
Proechimys semispinosus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilyEchimyidae (Spiny Rats and Hutias)
- GenusProechimys
- SpeciesProechimys semispinosus (Tome's Spiny Rat)
About the Tome's Spiny Rat
Tome's spiny rat (Proechimys semispinosus), also known as Tomes' spiny rat or the Central American spiny rat, is a species of spiny rat distributed from Honduras to Ecuador. The IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Tome's spiny rat is a large rat with a head-and-body length of between 220 and 280 mm (8.7 and 11.0 in) and a tail length of between 175 and 192 mm (6.9 and 7.6 in). The head is long and slender, with prominent eyes and narrow erect ears. At night, the eyes reflect a reddish eyeshine. The feet are long with strong nails. The pelage is sleek with spines mixed in with the dorsal fur, though these are not very obvious in the field. The upper parts are reddish-brown while the underparts are white. The tail is almost hairless and is reddish-brown above and white below. About 20% of animals encountered have no tail. This rat could be confused with the armored rat (Hoplomys gymnurus) which is much the same size, but the armored rat has a longer snout and smaller eyes, which are less reflective at night. Other terrestrial rats are considerably smaller and mostly have tails that are longer than their head-and-body lengths.
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Recent sightings of Tome's Spiny Rat in Soberanía National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Soberanía National Park
Rufous Tree Rat
Diplomys labilis
Armored Rat
Hoplomys gymnurus
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Lesser Capybara
Hydrochoerus isthmius
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Andean Porcupine
Coendou quichua
Spotted Paca
Cuniculus paca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tome's Spiny Rat in Soberanía National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tome's Spiny Rat sighting in Soberanía National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tome's Spiny Rat in Soberanía National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Tome's Spiny Rat in Soberanía National Park in our monthly data.