Mammals of the WorldIndomalayan Long-tailed Climbing Mouse
Vandeleuria oleraceus
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Vandeleuria
- IUCN status
- LC (as Vandeleuria oleracea)
- Distribution
- India|Nepal|Bhutan|Bangladesh|Sri Lanka|China|Myanmar|Thailand|Laos|Vietnam|Cambodia
- Realm
- Palearctic|Indomalaya
Other names: Asiatic Long-tailed Climbing Mouse|Indomalayan Vandeleuria
About this species
- Size
- Head and body 7–9cm; tail 10–12cm
- Habitat
- Forest, shrubland and grassland at about 200–1,500m
- Range
- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and east to Vietnam and China
The Asiatic long-tailed climbing mouse is a small climbing mouse with a body 7–9 cm long and a tail of 10–12 cm. The upperparts are reddish brown shading to light yellowish brown on the sides, and the underparts are light brownish white. It climbs many plants, such as cane grass, and lives in forest, shrubland and grassland at about 200–1,500 m. Its lifespan is about two years (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is found across South and Southeast Asia, including India. A field study noted its spread from Kamrup to Rongtara in India, about 215 km apart, and the species is linked with Kyasanur Forest Disease, which is known from India. The cached account is short, so little more is available on its behaviour or diet (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)