Giant White-tailed Rat
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| Uromys caudimaculatus (Krefft, 1867) |
The Giant White-tailed Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus) is an Australian rodent native to tropical rainforest of north Queensland [1], with subspecies occurring in New Guinea and the Aru Islands.[2] It is one of the largest rodents in Australia, reaching up to 1 kg in weight [3], is grey-brown above, cream to white below, and has a long, naked tail of which the distal section is white (Moore 1995).
Breeding commences in September or October, peaking in December and January at the height of the wet season. After a gestation of 36 days, a litter of two to three (rarely four) young are born, and remain with the mother for approximately three months (Moore 1995).
[edit] References
- ^ Harrison, J. L. (1962) Mammals of Innisfail I. Species and distribution. Australian Journal of Zoology, 10, 45-83.
- ^ Laurence, W. F. and Grant, J. D. (1994) Photographic identification of ground-nest predators in Australian tropical rainforest. Wildlife Research, 21, 241-248
- ^ Moore, L. A. (1995) Giant white-tailed rate, Uromys caudimaculatus. In: Mammals of Australia. (Ed, Strahan, R.) pp. 638-640. Reed Books, Chatswood, NSW.
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