Apomys, commonly known as earthworm mice, is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. Mice belonging to this genus are generally called Philippine forest mice and can be found on most islands of the Philippines except in Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and the Batanes and Babuyan group of islands.
Apomys mice weigh from 18g to 128g. The tail is longer or nearly equal the length of the head and body. The soft and thick fur of these mice is darker on the back while the front fur is paler, often nearly white with a moderate orange yellow wash. The hind feet are moderately long and narrow, have six plantar pads, and have digits 2–4 notably longer than digit 5 and the hallux. All species have two pairs of inguinal mammae.
Species
Twenty-two species are known in two subgenera:
Members of the subgenus Apomys' are smaller, longer-tailed and tree-dwelling species Camiguin forest mouse, A. camiguinensis Heaney & Tabaranza, 2006 Mount Apo forest mouse, A. hylocoetes Mearns, 1905 Mindanao montane forest mouse, A. insignis Mearns, 1905 Mindanao lowland forest mouse, A. littoralis Sanborn, 1952 Small Luzon forest mouse, A. microdon Hollister, 1913 Least forest mouse, A. musculus Miller, 1911 Members of the subgenus Megapomys are larger, shorter-tailed and primarily ground-dwelling species Luzon Cordillera forest mouse, A. abrae Sanborn, 1952 Luzon Aurora forest mouse, A. aurorae Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Mount Banahaw forest mouse, A. banahao Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Mount Tapulao forest mouse, A. brownorum Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Fringe-eared Mindoro forest mouse, A. crinitus Heaney, Balete, M. R. M. Duya, M. V. Duya, Kyriazis, Rickart, Steppan, & Rowsey, 2025 Luzon montane forest mouse, A. datae Meyer, 1899 Large Mindoro forest mouse, A. gracilirostris Ruedas, 1995 Mount Irid forest mouse, A. iridensis Heaney, Balete, Veluz, Steppan, Esseltyn, Pfeiffer & Rickart, 2014 Lubang forest mouse, A. lubangensis Heaney, Balete, Veluz, Steppan, Esseltyn, Pfeiffer & Rickart, 2014 Large forest mouse, A. magnus Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Mount Mingan forest mouse, A. minganensis Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Small Mindoro forest mouse, A. minor Heaney, Balete M. R. M. Duya, M. V. Duya, Kyriazis, Rickart, Steppan, & Rowsey, 2025 Long-nosed Luzon forest mouse, A. sacobianus Johnson, 1962 Sierra Madre forest mouse, A. sierrae Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Veluz's Mindoro forest mouse, A. veluzi Heaney, Balete, M. R. M. Duya, M. V. Duya, Kyriazis, Rickart, Steppan, & Rowsey, 2025 Luzon Zambales forest mouse, A. zambalensis Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011
Several species also await formal description.
The species generally inhabit narrow ecological niches with small endemic ranges.
See also Cloud rat
References