Rhizomys sinensis Gray 1831
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Spalacidae
Rhizomys
Rhizomys sinensis

description: 12.
Chinese Bamboo Rat
Rhizomys sinensis
French: Rhizomys de Chine / German: China-Bambusratte / Spanish: Rata de bambu de China
Taxonomy. Rhizomys sinensis Gray, 1831,
near Canton, Guangdong, China.
Classically treated as a member of the subgenus Rhizomys. Wang Yingxiang in 2003 treated ward: as a distinct species and named neowardi as a new subspecies of wardi. Subspecies vestitus is also sometimes treated as a distinct species. These approaches were not adopted by A. T. Smith in 2008, but presence of multiple species within what is currently recognized as R. sinensis seemslikely. Six subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
R.s.sinensisGray,1831—SEYunnan,Guangxi,andGuangdong(SChina).
R.s.davidiThomas,1911—SChongqing,SHubei,Anhui,Zhejiang,SGuizhou,Hunan,Jiangxi,Fujian,andNEGuangdong(C&SEChina).
R.s.pediculusWangYingxiang,2003—WYunnan(SWChina).
R.s.reductusDaoVanTien&CaoVanSung,1990—NVietnam.
R.s.vestitusMilne-Edwards,1871—SGansu,SShaanxi,Sichuan,NChongqing,andNHubei(CChina).
R. s. wardi Thomas, 1921 — NW Yunnan (SW China) and N Myanmar.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 216-450 mm,tail 50-96 mm; weight 1-9 kg. The Chinese Bamboo Rat is brownish gray or pinkish gray above, with darker forehead and sides of face. Dorsal pelage is soft, and venter is more sparsely haired. Throatis lighter than rest of venter. Upper incisors are extrabuccal and orange, and they rise perpendicularly from maxilla and then curve slightly inward toward tips. They are not proodont. Single thin sagittal crest is present. There are eight nipples: 1 pair of pectoral + 3 pairs of inguinal.
Habitat. Usually bamboo thickets but also pine forests at elevations of 1219-3962 m.
Food and Feeding. Bamboo roots and shoots are primary foods of Chinese Bamboo Rats, but they also reportedly eat grass seeds and crops. They usually feed at night on the surface.
Breeding. Reproduction of the Chinese Bamboo Rat peaks in spring but can occur year-round. Litter size is usually 2-4 young but can be up to eight. Young are naked and weaned after c.3 months.
Activity patterns. Chinese Bamboo Rats appear to leave their burrows to feed on nearby bamboo plants, primarily at night, but they are occasionally active in daytime. This dual subterranean and aboveground life is reflected in morphology of middle and inner ears that have adaptations found in subterranean and terrestrial mammals.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Burrows of Chinese Bamboo Rats are up to 45 m long and extend up to 20-30 cm below the surface. Burrows have 4-7 external entrances indicated by mounds 50-80 cm in diameter and 20-40 cm high. Den chamber of 20-25 cm is present. Burrows are abandoned after a year as an individual uses up food resources in the area. Predators include the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), the Leopard (P. pardus), and occasionally the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The Chinese Bamboo Rat might fiercely defend itself with its powerful incisors when cornered.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List and the 2016 China Red List. Subspecies vestitus is assessed separately as data deficient on the China Red List. It is a crop pest and can be found in agricultural areas. The Chinese Bamboo Rat is known from several protected areas and is hunted for food.
Bibliography. Allen (1940), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951), Jiang Zhigang et al. (2016), Lunde, Aplin & Musser (2008), Plestilovéa et al. (2016), Smith (2008), Wang Yingxiang (2003).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Spalacidae, pp. 108-142 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 134-135, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6609100