Complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of Eliurus webbi and Eliurus minor, endemic tufted-tailed rats in Madagascar

The Webb’s tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus webbi) and the lesser tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus minor) are nocturnal and primarily arboreal rodents native to Madagascar, classified in the subfamily Nesomyinae. After species confirmation using cytochrome b, we assembled the first complete mitogenomes of E. webbi (n = 7) and E. minor (n = 3) from southeastern Madagascar. These mitochondrial genomes range from 16,310 to 16,313 nt for E. webbi and 16,296 to 16,302 nt for E. minor. These are the first assemblies of mitogenomes from Nesomyinae. This report enhances the evolutionary study and identification of Malagasy endemic rodents, and will support biodiversity research and wildlife conservation efforts.