Another previously never-kept species has been added to the collection of the Debrecen Zoo, following the recent reception of a female Luzon bark rat from the Lodz Zoo in Poland under the European Pedigree Program (EAZA ESB). According to the announcement of Dr. Gergely Sándor Nagy, managing director, the newcomer is getting to know his new environment behind the scenes for the time being, but visitors will soon be able to see it as well; moreover, it is hoped that it will receive a partner in the near future, so that the institution can contribute to the international breeding program with successful reproduction in the future.
In the northern part of the largest member of the Philippines, the endemic Luzon bark rat (Phloemys pallidus) is a relatively large, night-time rodent species. As its name suggests, it spends most of its time at canopy level, with its strong claws clinging perfectly to the bark of trees. Living in pairs, the females give birth to one or possibly two offspring a year in their nest in a tree-lined or dug into the ground. It consumes a variety of plant parts, but due to the narrowing of its habitat, it also consumes rice grown on the surrounding lands, which is why it is considered a pest in many places.
In addition to habitat loss and human-animal conflicts, food hunting is also threatened, so the species is on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is a real rarity among the Hungarian zoos, as it was kept exclusively in the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden until the arrival of the female in Debrecen.
zoodebrecen.hu
