noun
Ryukyu long-haired rat
A rodent species (Diplothrix legata) endemic to the Ryukyu Islands. The name is a biological species name, not a general descriptive term.
ケナガネズミは沖縄本島北部と奄美大島に生息している。
The Ryukyu long-haired rat inhabits the northern part of Okinawa Island and Amami Ōshima.
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
Compound of 毛長 (けなが, 'long-haired') and 鼠 (ねずみ, 'rat'), describing the animal's appearance. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the species.