Wow, three of these already, eh?  Looks like I stumbled onto a pretty good idea here.   Well, I'm glad people are taking such interest.  I've loved animals since I knew what one was...and I'm happy to pass along some knowledge to you and I'm ecstatic that you're all so receptive.  Well, without further rambling we'll move onto the next animal in my series.  ASaxyGirl recommended...

Muennink's Spiny Rat Tokudaia muenninki

The Genus Tokudaia also has another member, the Ryukyu Spiny Rat Tokudaia osimensis.  They are collectively called Japanese Spiny Rats.  There's not a whole lot of data for these guys and they are extremely endangered.

Muennink's Spiny Rat

This is the only picture I could find.  This is one rare animal.  I had to venture in Japanese internet land and I can't read kanji!  Or speak much Japanese.  Wish I had more images, but you're lucky I found this one...and I hope it's the right rat.  I'm not entirely sure, but if it isn't, it's as close as you're going to get.  It's a rat and it's spiny.

Physical Characteristics:

Head and body length is around 7in (~17.5cm); tail length is around 5in (~12.5cm) The weight is unknown, though I'd venture a guess that it's probably around that of a black rat which is roughly the same size as the spiny rat, so about 10oz (~280g).

It basically resembles a large vole, with a short thick body.  The fur is dense consisting of fine hairs and coarse, grooved spines. (Thus giving the spiny rat name)  The fur is brown on top and white on the under belly with a slight orange tinge.  The spines on the back are black, the spines on the underbelly are white with a reddish tip.  The spines cover the body except for the regions around the mouth, ears, feet and tail.  The tail also has the same bicolor pattern as the body for the whole length(dark on top, light on bottom)

Habitat:

Japan(1 island for each species), temperate forest.  The Ryukyu spiny rat is found only on Amami-oshima, and Muennink's spiny rat known only from Yanbaru Forest, Okinawa. Both of those are islands in the Ryukyu Island chain. 

Diet:

I have found nothing specifically outlining the diet, but if I know my rats it is herbivorous with a liking for seeds, grain, fruits, and other assorted plants.

Behavior:

Not a lot to go on, unfortunately.  If it's anything like other rats then it's nocturnal, adaptable, and a prolific breeder.  Though that's only supposition.  There is next to nothing known about their behavior.

Interesting Facts:

Well, it's critically endangered due to it's very limited habitat and feral cat predation. 

It is legally protected, but no real measures are in effect for their conservation.

I believe(according to Wikipedia) the first wild specimen in over 30 years of Muennink's Spiny Rat was captured in March 2008.

It's also really hard to find any information on these things.  Wish I could've had more, but that seems to be about the limit.  At least I spread the word.

~Zoo

(Hey, ASaxyGirl...can you pick anything harder to research?  Bigfoot perhaps? )