Hoary Bamboo Rat

About this species

Size

Head and body 240–345mm; tail 90–130mm

Weight

1.5–2.5kg

Diet

Stems and roots of bamboo and beard grass

Habitat

Low ground to about 4,000m; simple burrow with a mound at the entrance

Range

Northern and north-eastern India, Southeast Asia and southern China

Litter size

Usually 1–5

Gestation

About 22 days

The hoary bamboo rat is a robust rodent with a head and body of 240–345 mm, a tail of 90–130 mm, and a weight of 1.5–2.5 kg. The fur is greyish brown or dark brown with a grizzled look from white-tipped guard hairs, paler beneath, and the tail is scantily haired. The upper incisors slope inwards and the broad molars are orange. It ranges through northern and north-eastern India, Southeast Asia and southern China, from low ground to 4,000 m (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is nocturnal and lives alone in a simple burrow with a single entrance marked by a mound, an escape exit, a nest chamber lined with dried grass and bamboo shreds, and a latrine chamber. It comes out at night to feed mostly on the stems and roots of bamboos and beard grass. Breeding may take place all year but peaks in November–December and March–June, and the young are weaned at two to two and a half months (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)