Manus Island spiny rat

The Manus Island spiny rat, also called the Admiralty rat (Rattus detentus), is a rodent of the family Muridae found only on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, and possibly on neighbouring Los Negros Island. Its Latin species name means detained, chosen both for the animal's isolation on the island and as a gesture of solidarity with the detainees held at the Manus Regional Processing Centre while it was open. It is notable for its size, being larger than any other Rattus on the Melanesian islands, and may be an example of island gigantism. It is thought to be a highly divergent member of the Austro-Papuan Rattus radiation, with no known close relatives. Much of Manus Island has been cleared of forest since the 1990s for logging and agriculture, and invasive species such as feral cats add to the pressure. Residents say the rat is widespread, but recent surveys rarely found it, which points to low densities, and the IUCN Red List classes it as Critically Endangered, possibly extinct.