Hoary bamboo rat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Spalacidae |
Genus: | Rhizomys |
Species: | R. pruinosus |
Binomial name | |
Rhizomys pruinosus Blyth, 1851 | |
The hoary bamboo rat (Rhizomys pruinosus) is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae found in Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), East Asia (China) and South Asia (India).[ citation needed ]
The hoary bamboo rat is a robust rodent that reaches a head-and-body length of 240 to 345 mm (9 to 14 in) with a tail of 90 to 130 mm (4 to 5 in). Its weight ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 g (53 to 88 oz). The fur on the upper parts is greyish-brown or dark brown with a somewhat grizzled appearance due to the presence of white-tipped guard hairs. The under parts are paler greyish-brown and the tail is scantily haired. The skull is broad and somewhat flattened and the zygomatic arch is large. The upper incisors slope inwards and the broad molars are an orange colour. [2]
The hoary bamboo rat has a wide range which includes northern and north-eastern India, eastern Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, and southern China. It occurs from low ground to altitudes of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level. It occurs in a variety of habitats including coniferous and mixed woodland, secondary forest, shrubby land bordering woodland, plantations, and bamboo thickets. It is generally absent from dense forests and from cultivated land. [1]
This rat is nocturnal and lives alone in a simple burrow, which has a single entrance marked by a mound, an escape exit, a nest chamber, and latrine chamber. The nest is lined with dried grasses and shreds of bamboo. The bamboo rat emerges at night to forage for plant material, mostly feeding on the stems and roots of bamboos and beard grass. Breeding may take place all year round, but it peaks in November/December and March/June. At these times, a male bamboo rat moves into the burrow of a female. The gestation period is about 22 days and the litter size is usually between one and five. Weaning takes place when the young are about two or two and a half months. [2]
Rattus is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus.
The rodent subfamily Rhizomyinae includes the Asian bamboo rats and certain of the African mole-rats. The subfamily is grouped with the Spalacinae and the Myospalacinae into a family of fossorial muroid rodents basal to the other Muroidea.
The bamboo rats are four species of rodents of the subfamily Rhizomyinae. They are the sole living representatives of the tribe Rhizomyini. These species are found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia.
The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe. It includes the blind mole-rats, bamboo rats, mole-rats, and zokors. This family represents the oldest split in the muroid superfamily, and comprises animals adapted to a subterranean way of life. These rodents were thought to have evolved adaptations to living underground independently until recent genetic studies demonstrated they form a monophyletic group. Members of the Spalacidae are often placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the Muroidea.
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The lesser bamboo rat is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is monotypic within the genus Cannomys. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand.
Rhizomys, also known as bamboo rat, is a genus of rodents in the family Spalacidae. Rhizomys are all stocky burrowers with short, naked tails, and contains the following species:
The Chinese bamboo rat is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae found in southern China, northern Myanmar, and northern Vietnam. Its habitat is bamboo thickets usually at high elevations, pine forests, and plantations.
The large bamboo rat, Sumatran rat, or Indomalayan rat is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is one of four species of bamboo rat. Individuals can reach lengths of nearly 50 cm (20 in) with a 20 cm (7.9 in) tail, and weigh up to 4 kilograms (8.8 lb).
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