Vangunu giant rat (Uromys vika) survives in the Zaira Community Resource Management Area, Solomon Islands

Described in 2017 and known only from the holotype, Uromys vika is surely among the world's least studied rodents. This critically endangered species is facing a rapidly increasing scale for threat from logging of its primary lowland forest habitat, on the only island on which it occurs-Vangunu, Solomon Islands. However, a deep traditional ecological knowledge of U. vika is held by Vangunu's people. Using camera traps and guided by this knowledge, we aimed to make additional records of U. vika in the last major block of Vangunu's primary forest. We successfully captured 95 images of what we postulate is four different individuals. The forests at Zaira represent the last suitable habitat remaining for this species, and recent development consent for logging at Zaira will lead to its extinction if permitted to proceed.

Automated summary

Uromys vika, one of the least studied rodents in the world, is facing a threat from logging in its primary habitat. The indigenous people of Vangunu Island have traditional ecological knowledge about this endangered species. Researchers used camera traps to record additional sightings of U. vika in the last major forest block of Vangunu Island.