Eastern Red Forest Rat
A medium-small rat. Upperparts are reddish-brown, underparts much paler. This species may be distinguished from Nesomys rufus (with which it is sympatric in the Park) as it is slightly larger, and has a tuft of white hair at the end of its tail. (Garbutt, 1999)
Head/Body Length |
16-21cm |
|---|---|
Tail Length |
17-22cm |
Weight |
190-230g |
They are diurnal and terrestrial. They become active around sunrise. Foraging peaks in the early morning.
Home range size depends on sex with males having ranges of 1.4ha and females .5ha. Ranges overlap. They will have several burrows in use in their range, these are often dug near fallen logs or piles of brush and will have several entrances and several chambers. Upper chambers are lined with clipped blades of grass and are used for food storage, while lower chambers are lined with palm fronds and are used for sleeping.
They prefer altitudes below 800m but will range up to 1000m.
Mammalia -> Rodentia -> Muridae (Nesomyinae) -> Nesomys audeberti
At one point this species was a sub-species of Nesomys rufus.
Garbutt, N. 1999, Mammals of Madagascar, Yale University Press
-- Other Mammals -- RNP Main -- Comments --
200g,
225g