The first is that cladistic approaches applied to morphological characters showed that many traits used to define taxa were plesiomorphic or homoplastic. The current taxonomic content of the family Echimyidae has been reshaped over time, and its organization into coherent units stems from two realizations.
Most species do poorly in conditions of high heat and aridity and are restricted to regions with abundant water. In general, the arboreal forms are most rat-like in appearance, whilst the burrowing species are more gopher-like, with stocky bodies and short tails.
Various species are respectively terrestrial, arboreal, or fossorial. Most spiny rats are rare and poorly known, but a few are extremely abundant. Therefore, the tactic can only be used once in an individual's lifetime. Unlike the tails of some species of lizards, however, the tails of spiny rats do not regenerate. This action may confuse predators long enough for the spiny rat to escape. Many echimyids can break off their tails when attacked. Most species have stiff, pointed hairs, or spines, that presumably serve for protection from predators. In general form, most spiny rats resemble rats, although they are more closely related to guinea pigs and chinchillas.
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