Central Asian rat
| Central Asian rat | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rattus pyctoris | ||||||||||||
| ( Hodgson , 1845) |
The Central Asian rat or Nepal rat ( Rattus pyctoris ) is a species of mammal from the genus of rats within rodents (Rodentia). It is distributed over large parts of Asia.
features
The Central Asian rat is a small to medium-sized rat with a head-to-trunk length of 14 to 16.5 centimeters and a tail length of 13.5 to 17.8 centimeters. As a result, the length of the tail corresponds roughly to the rest of the body length or is even slightly longer. The fur is short and shaggy. The back color is matt gray and the sides of the body a little lighter, whereby the transition is clearly demarcated. The ventral side is yellowish-white to white. The abdominal hair is correspondingly yellowish-white, but there are areas with gray hairlines, especially in the chest and throat. The tail is dark brown on top and a bit lighter brown, especially on the underside of the tail base. The feet are foggy-white on the upper side, but without the pearlescent luster of the brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ) and the Himalayan rat ( Rattus nitidus ). The hind feet reach a length of 32 to 34 millimeters, the ears a length of 20 to 25 millimeters.
distribution
The distribution area of the Central Asian rat extends from the Chinese provinces of Yunnan , Sichuan and Guangdong to northern Myanmar , Bhutan , Nepal , India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , the north of Tajikistan , eastern Uzbekistan , Kyrgyzstan , the south-east of Kazakhstan , the north and east of Afghanistan to the eastern and central area of Iran .
The altitude distribution is between 1,200 and 4,250 meters.
Way of life
The Central Asian rat is a species that is specially adapted to mountain regions. It lives in stony areas, but also in cultivated land and often near settlements.
Systematics
The Central Asian rat is classified as an independent species within the rats (genus Rattus ) and there together with the brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ) and the Himalayan rat ( Rattus nitidus ) in the norvegicus group. Historically, it was assigned to both the house rat ( Rattus rattus ) and the Himalayan rat . Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Hazard and protection
The species is classified as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its large distribution area and high population numbers. There are no known threats to the stocks.
literature
- Himalayan Council. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie (Eds.): A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ et al. 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 272.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b Himalayan Council. In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, p. 272.
- ↑ a b c d Rattus pyctoris in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.2. Listed by: Andrew T. Smith , CHL Johnston, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- ↑ a b Rattus pyctoris ( Memento of the original dated November 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: 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
- Rattus pyctoris inthe IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: Andrew T. Smith , CHL Johnston, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2013.