Karru rats
| Karru rats | ||||||||||||
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Brants' whistling rat ( Parotomys brantsii ) |
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| Parotomys | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1918 |
The Karru rats or whistling rats ( Parotomys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae). They are close relatives of the lamellar tooth rats ( Otomys ). The genus includes two types.
Karru rats reach a head body length of 14 to 17 centimeters, the tail is relatively short with 8 to 12 centimeters. Their weight is around 90 to 150 grams. Their fur is yellow-brown or reddish-brown on the upper side, the underside is white or light brown. The build of these animals is stocky, the ears are remarkably small.
Karru rats live in southern Africa , their range includes southern Namibia , southern Botswana and western South Africa . Their habitat is the dry, desert-like Karroo landscape. They live in burrows with many entrances that they dig in the sand. In the burrows they build nests out of plant material. The diet of these animals consists of grasses, seeds and stems.
Two types are known:
- Brants' whistling rat ( Parotomys brantsii ) lives in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
- Littledale's whistling rat ( Parotomys littledalei ) inhabits the coast of Namibia and western South Africa.
According to the IUCN, both species are not endangered.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Web links
- Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .