Moonrat
| Moonrat | |
|---|---|
| Museum specimens of the two moonrat subspecies: E. g. gymnura (above) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Erinaceidae |
| Subfamily: | Galericinae |
| Genus: | Echinosorex Blainville, 1838 |
| Species: | E. gymnura |
| Binomial name | |
| Echinosorex gymnura (Raffles, 1822) | |
| Moonrat range | |
The moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) is a southeast Asian species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae (the hedgehogs and gymnures). It is the only species in the genus Echinosorex. The moonrat is a fairly small, primarily carnivorous animal which, despite its name, is not closely related to rats or other rodents. The scientific name is sometimes given as Echinosorex gymnurus, but this is incorrect.