Himalayan field rat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Rattus
Species:
R. nitidus
Binomial name
Rattus nitidus
(Hodgson, 1845)
Native distribution
Synonyms[2]
  • Mus nittidus
  • Mus horeites
  • Mus aequicordalis
  • Mus guhai

The Himalayan field rat (Rattus nitidus), sometimes known as the white-footed Indo-Chinese rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has a wide range, being found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, with introduced populations in Indonesia (widely), Palau, and the Philippines. A common species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Taxonomy

The Himalayan field rat was first described in 1845 by Brian Houghton Hodgson,[3] a British naturalist and ethnologist who worked in India and Nepal and gave it the name Mus nitidus, but it was later transferred to the genus Rattus. Two subspecies are recognised, R. n. nitidus and R. n. obsoletus. Recent molecular research has shown that the Himalayan field rat is closely related to the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and morphological studies confirm this.[4]

Description

The head-and-body length is 160 to 180 mm (6 to 7 in). It has soft, brown dorsal fur, and whitish underparts, each hair having a grey base. The feet are white, the hind feet are narrower than those of R. norvegicus, and the soles have ridges which provides extra grip when the animal is climbing.[5][6]

Distribution and habitat

This rat is native to southeastern Asia. Its range extends from northern India, Bhutan, Nepal and probably Bangladesh, through central, southern and eastern China and southward to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It has been introduced to Palau, the Philippines and Indonesia. It generally inhabits both primary and secondary forests at altitudes up to about 2,750 m (9,000 ft), but is an adaptable species and is also found in plantations, on agricultural land and around human dwellings.[1]

Status

R. nitidus is an abundant and adaptable species with a very wide range, able to live in a number of different environments. No particular threats have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Aplin, K.; Lunde, D.; Molur, S. (2008). "Rattus nitidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T19352A8866576. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T19352A8866576.en.
  2. ^ Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Species Rattus nitidus". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 894–1531. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ Hodgson, B. H. (1845). "On the rats, mice, and shrews of the central region of Nepal". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 1. 15: 266–270.
  4. ^ Srinivasulu, Chelmala; Srinivasulu, Bhargavi (2012). "Checklist of South Asian Mammals". South Asian Mammals: Their Diversity, Distribution, and Status. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 194–195. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3449-8_3. ISBN 978-1-4614-3449-8.
  5. ^ "Himalayan field rat". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  6. ^ Francis, Charles M.; Barrett, Priscilla (2008). A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers. pp. 158, 353. ISBN 978-1-84537-735-9.
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