Galericinae
Sign in to saveAlso known as Gymnure subfamily
Gymnures, also called hairy hedgehogs or moonrats, are mammals belonging to the subfamily Galericinae, in the family Erinaceidae and the order Eulipotyphla. Gymnures may resemble rats but are not closely related; they are not rodents at all, but instead are closely related to hedgehogs, being their sister group within Erinaceidae. They are thought to have appeared in Eastern Asia and changed little from the original ancestor, which is thought to have been also the ancestor of the shrews.
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Drawing of Echinosorex gymnura.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- taxon name
- Galericinae
- Commons category
- Galericinae
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~3 min read
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distribution
- Classification
- References
Gymnures, also called hairy hedgehogs or moonrats, are mammals belonging to the subfamily Galericinae, in the family Erinaceidae and the order Eulipotyphla. Gymnures may resemble rats but are not closely related; they are not rodents at all, but instead are closely related to hedgehogs, being their sister group within Erinaceidae. They are thought to have appeared in Eastern Asia and changed little from the original ancestor, which is thought to have been also the ancestor of the shrews.
==Description== Although the gymnures are closest related to the hedgehogs, full-grown gymnures superficially resemble large rats, shrews, and opossums as a result of convergent evolution.