| Himalayan field rat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Rattus |
| Species: | R. nitidus |
| Binomial name | |
| Rattus nitidus (Hodgson, 1845) | |
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| Native distribution | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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TheHimalayan field rat (Rattus nitidus), sometimes known as thewhite-footed Indo-Chinese rat, is a species ofrodent in the familyMuridae. It has a wide range, being found inIndia,Bangladesh,Nepal,Bhutan,China,Myanmar,Laos,Thailand, andVietnam, with introduced populations inIndonesia (widely),Palau, and thePhilippines. A common species, theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Himalayan field rat was firstdescribed in 1845 byBrian Houghton Hodgson,[3] a British naturalist and ethnologist who worked in India and Nepal and gave it the nameMus nitidus, but it was later transferred to thegenusRattus. Twosubspecies are recognised,R. n. nitidus andR. n. obsoletus. Recentmolecular research has shown that the Himalayan field rat is closely related to thebrown rat (Rattus norvegicus), andmorphological studies confirm this.[4]
The head-and-body length is 160 to 180 mm (6 to 7 in). It has soft, brown dorsal fur, and whitish underparts, each hair having a grey base. The feet are white, the hind feet are narrower than those ofR. norvegicus, and the soles have ridges which provides extra grip when the animal is climbing.[5][6]
This rat is native to southeastern Asia. Its range extends from northern India, Bhutan, Nepal and probably Bangladesh, through central, southern and eastern China and southward to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It has been introduced to Palau, the Philippines and Indonesia. It generally inhabits both primary and secondary forests at altitudes up to about 2,750 m (9,000 ft), but is an adaptable species and is also found in plantations, on agricultural land and around human dwellings.[1]
R. nitidus is an abundant and adaptable species with a very wide range, able to live in a number of different environments. No particular threats have been identified, and theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
