Eliurus minor Forsyth Major 1896
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Nesomyidae
Eliurus
Eliurus minor

description: 10. Lesser Tufted-taill Rat <i>Elurus minor</i> <b>French:</b> Petit Rat-loir / <b>German:</b> Kleiner Bilchschwanz / <b>Spanish:</b> Rata de cola de penacho pequena <b>Other common names:</b> Lesser Tuft-tailed Rat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Eliurus minor Forsyth Major, 1896, “ Ampitambe forest (N.E. Betsileo),” Madagascar. This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Endemic to the Central Highlands and N &amp; E Madagascar. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 101-124 mm, tail 119-137 mm; weight 21-5-49-5 g. The Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is the smallest species of Eliurus. Dorsum is generally brownish gray, and venter is beige-cream, blended with gray. Ears are proportionately shorter than other congeneric species. Distal one-half of tail has dark brown to blackish hair, becoming denser and longer toward tip. Tarsi are gray, and feet and toes are completely white. <b>Habitat.</b> Broad distribution in humid lowland and montane forests from sea level to elevations of ¢.2030 m. The Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is known to occur in disturbed and degraded forest. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is presumed to be largely granivorous and may eat fruit. <b>Breeding.</b> Reproduction of the Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is during the wet season, with young born in late November through December. Females have three pairs of mammae, and maximum litter size is four young. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is nocturnal and scansorial. It probably lives in ground dens and forages in an arboreal manner. It is capable of moving across very thin lianas, no larger than pencil width. It is known to be preyed on by Madagascar long-eared owls (Asio madagascariensis), Madagascar red owls (71yto soumagne), Spotted Fanalokas (Fossa fossana), and Fosas (Cryptoprocta ferox). <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Lesser Tufted-tail Rat is forest-dwelling and is known from numerous localities along the complete length of Madagascar’s eastern humid forests from lowland to montane formations. In some areas, it can be at least seasonally common. Given its occurrence in more montane forest habitats, which are to a large extent not under extensive human pressure, its medium-term future seems relatively assured, but lowland forests are under severe threat. <b>Bibliography.</b> Carleton (1994, 2003), Carleton &amp; Schmidt (1990), Goodman &amp; Thorstrom (1998), Goodman, Creighton &amp; Raxworthy (1991), Goodman, Ganzhorn &amp; Rakotondravony (2003), Goodman, Langrand &amp; Rasolonandrasana (1997), Goodman, Langrand &amp; Raxworthy (1993), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Jenkins &amp; Carleton (2005), Soarimalala &amp; Goodman (2011), Thorstrom et al. (1997).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Nesomyidae, pp. 156-203 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 187, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6600357