Lesser Bandicoot Rat
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| Bandicota bengalensis Gray, 1835 |
The Lesser Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is a giant rat of southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoots. They can be up to 40cm long (including the tail). It is considered a pest in the cereal crops and gardens of India and Sri Lanka, and emits piglike grunts when attacking. The name bandicoot is derived from the Telugu language word "Pandikokku" which translates loosely to "pig-rat". Like the better known rats in the genus Rattus, Bandicoot Rats are members of the family Muridae. The fur is dark or (rarely) pale brown dorsally, occasionally blackish, and light to dark grey ventrally. The head-body length is around 250 mm, and the uniformly dark tail is shorter than the head-body length.
These rats are also known to inhabit houses in villages and are particularly aggressive when threatened. They are also seen as a threat to infants as a group of bandicoots can easily attack and devour a human child.
The bandicoot rat is known as "Uru-Meeya" in Sri Lanka, the meaning of which directly translates to "Pig-Rat"
[edit] References
- Baillie (1996). Bandicota bengalensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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