Dartmoor Zoo conservation charity in Devon has welcomed two Northern Luzon Giant Cloud rats to its collection – just in time for Chinese New Year which celebrates Year of the Rat in 2020.
The yet to be named male and female sibling rodents are a brand-new species for Dartmoor Zoo, with Northern Luzon Giant Cloud rats only found at four other zoos in the UK.
Almost double the size of well-known black rats, the giant rats have long rough fur with white, grey and black markings, large hind feet and long claws making them excellent climbers.
In the wild, the population of this forest-dwelling species is under threat from deforestation on the island of Luzon in the Philippines where they live.
Keepers at Dartmoor Zoo hope to exchange one of the cloud rats with a rat from another collection to form an unrelated pair for breeding in the near future.
To find out more about Dartmoor Zoo visit www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk
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