Tachyoryctes macrocephalus

(Rüppell, 1842)

Giant Root Rat

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodentia
Suborder : Supramyomorpha
Infraorder : Myomorphi
Superfamily : Muroidea
Family : Spalacidae
Subfamily : Rhizomyinae
Tribe : Tachyoryctini
Genus : Tachyoryctes

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Rüppell, E. 1842. Säugethiere aus der Ordnung der Nager, beobachtet im nordöstlichen Africa. Museum Senckenbergianum 3(2):91-116.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45886760

Original name as described

Rhizomys macrocephalus

Other common names

Big-headed Mole-rat · Giant Mole-rat · Ethiopian African Mole-rat

Type material

SMF:MAMM:4318

Type kind

lectotype

Type locality

Shoa, Ethiopia.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Ethiopia

IUCN Red List status

Endangered

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003791

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Rhizomys macrocephalus

(Rüppell, 1842)

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

macrocephalus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

SMF:MAMM:4318

Type kind

lectotype

Authority page

97

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45886760

Authority publication

Museum Senckenbergianum

Tachyoryctes macrocephalus

Corbet & J. Edwards Hill, 1980

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

macrocephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

159

Authority publication

London

Name usages

  1. Corbet & Hill (1980:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  2. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:478) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  3. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)
  4. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:223) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  5. Happold (2013:149) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27625)
  6. Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:137) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)
  7. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #21293) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  8. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #21293) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  9. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003791) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  10. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21293/115161321) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Tachyoryctes macrocephalus macrocephalus

D. E. Wilson, Mittermeier, & T. E. Lacher, 2017

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

macrocephalus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

137

Authority publication

Barcelona

Name usages

Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:137) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)

Tachyoryctes macrocephalus hecki

O. R. Neumann & Rümmler, 1928

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

hecki

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

302

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45342591

Authority publication

Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde

Name usages

  1. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)
  2. Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:137) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)

Please send any edits, corrections, or unfilled data (including full citations) to mammaldiversity [at] gmail [dot] com.