Eliurus tanala 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 tanala

description: 14. Tanala Tufted-taill Rat <i>Elwurus tanala</i> <b>French:</b> Rat-loir tanala / <b>German:</b> Tanala-Bilchschwanz / <b>Spanish:</b> Rata de cola de penacho de los Tanala <b>Other common names:</b> Tanala Tuft-tailed Rat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Eliurus tanala Forsyth Major, 1896, “ Forest of the Independent Tanala of Ikongo, in the neighbourhood of Vinanitelo, thirty miles south of Fianarantsoa.” This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Endemic to the Central Highlands and N &amp; E Madagascar. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 140-159 mm, tail 152-194 mm; weight 66— 97-5 g. Dorsum of the Tanala Tufted-tail Rat is grayish dark brown to dark brown, and venter is entirely white, sometimes spotted with gray. Distinct line on flank separates dorsum and venter. Distal one-half of tail is covered with short black hair that becomes progressively thicker and then white, forming distinct terminal tuft. Tarsi are gray, and feet and toes are completely white. <b>Habitat.</b> Eastern humid lowland, montane, and sclerophyllous forest at elevations of 400-1875 m. In some areas, the Tanala Tufted-tail Rat is common. At lower elevations, Webb's Tufted-tail Rat (FE. webbi) is dominant to elevations at ¢.900-1100 m and then is gradually replaced by the Tanala Tufted-tail Rat. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Tanala Tufted-tail Rat eats various seeds, such as those of Canarium (Burseraceae) by gnawing a hole in the central part to extract the endocarp. It is presumed to feed on fruits and perhaps invertebrates. <b>Breeding.</b> Reproduction of the Tanala Tufted-tail Rat is for the most part during the wet season, with young born in late November through December. Females have three pairs of mammae, and maximum littersize is four young. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Tanala Tufted-tail Rat is nocturnal and scansorial. In general, it is more commonly captured in arboreal trap sets than those on the ground. Although in certain settings, such as forest along stream margins, it is regularly trapped in ground sets. It has been observed to climb vertical tree trunks and is capable of negotiating branches and relatively fine lianas. <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 Tanala Tufted-tail Rat is forest-dwelling and is known from the full expanse of eastern humid forests of Madagascar and from numerous localities. Given continued declines in natural forests of this region, particularly those at the lower end of its elevational range, its mediumand long-term future is uncertain. <b>Bibliography.</b> Carleton (1994, 2003), Carleton &amp; Schmidt (1990), Goodman &amp; Carleton (1998), Goodman &amp; Sterling (1996), Goodman et al. (2013), Rakotoarisoa et al. (2013b), Soarimalala &amp; Goodman (2011).
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 188, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6600357