NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Hidden Spiny Tree-rat
Mesomys occultus Patton, da Silva & Malcolm, 2000
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The tufted-tailed spiny tree-rat or furtive spiny tree-rat (Mesomys occultus) is a spiny rat species known from Amazonas, northwestern Brazil, where it is found in tropical rainforest. The species is arboreal.
Wikipedia contributors, Tufted-tailed spiny tree-rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:11:13.770622+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mesomys occultus Patton, da Silva & Malcolm, 2000
- Name authority
- Patton, da Silva & Malcolm, 2000
- Common name
- Hidden Spiny Tree-rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Echimyidae
- Genus
- Mesomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderHystricomorpha Brandt, 1855
- infraorderHystricognathi Brandt, 1855
- familyEchimyidae Gray, 1825
- subfamilyEchimyinae Gray, 1825
- tribeEchimyini Gray, 1825
- genusMesomys Wagner, 1845
- speciesMesomys occultus Patton, da Silva & Malcolm, 2000
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mesomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ferreira's Spiny Tree-ratMesomys hispidus (Desmarest, 1817) | EchimyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pará Spiny Tree-ratMesomys stimulax Thomas, 1911 | EchimyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=825365 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:424MW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.