The Amami-oshima Island spiny rat is endemic to Japan and lives on Amami Oshima. It has spine-like body hairs, and development and introduced cats have contributed to its decline.
Its body bears stiff hairs that look like spines. They are hairs, not separate spines.
The zoo account lists habitat development and introduced cats as factors in the rat’s decline.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.