Eastern Red Forest Rat
 |
A medium-small rat. Upperparts are reddish-brown, underparts slightly paler, chin and throat whitish. This species may be distinguished from Nesomys audeberti (with which it is sympatric in the Park) as it is slightly smaller, and does not have a tuft of hair at the end of its tail. (Garbutt, 1999)
This animal may pop out of the forest near you and totally ignore you as it hops away. It is fairly common in the Park and is most active in the early morning.
Head/Body Length |
15-20cm |
|---|---|
Tail Length |
16-20cm |
Weight |
125-200g |
Diet
& Feeding
They mostly eat seeds and fallen fruit. They forage in the leaf-litter, and around researcher's refuse.
They are diurnal and terrestrial. They become active just before sunrise. Foraging peaks in the early morning and late afternoon.
They occupy small (.4-.6ha) home ranges which do not change much from year to year. 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. Occasionally a male and a female will share a burrow.
The breeding season is presumed to be November-December, and litter sizes of 1~2 are expected.
They prefer altitudes between 900m-2300m.
Mammalia -> Rodentia -> Muridae (Nesomyinae) -> Nesomys rufus
At one point this species had three sub-species, but all the sub-species have been elevated to species status (and two of the former sub-species are sympatric in the park).
Garbutt, N. 1999, Mammals of Madagascar, Yale University Press
-- Other Mammals -- RNP Main -- Comments --
All images copyright © 1991 by Ted Chapple. Shot Dec 1991.
150g,
175g