Madagascar white-tailed rats
| Madagascar white-tailed rats | ||||||||||||
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| Brachytarsomys | ||||||||||||
| Günther , 1875 |
The Madagascar Weißschwanz rats ( Brachytarsomys ) are a rodent species from the group of Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae). The genus is divided into two recent species, Brachytarsomys albicauda and Brachytarsomys villosa , which live in the forests in the east of the island of Madagascar , and an extinct species, Brachytarsomys mahajambaensis .
In terms of physique, these animals are similar to the island rats (Nesomys), but differ in their shorter hind legs. Their fur is gray-brown on the upper side, the flanks are reddish and the belly is white. The name-giving feature is the sparsely hairy tail, the rear half of which is colored white. These animals reach a head body length of around 20 to 25 centimeters, the tail becomes as long as the body.
Little is known about the way of life of the Madagascar white tailed rats. They are primarily tree dwellers, live in tree hollows and feed primarily on fruits.
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 .
