Rhizomys sumatrensis Raffles 1821
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 sumatrensis

description: 14.
Indomalayan Bamboo Rat
Rhizomys sumatrensis
French: Rhizomys de Sumatra / German: Grof 3e Bambusratte / Spanish: Rata de bambu de Indomalasia
Other common names: Large Bamboo Rat, Sumatran Bamboo Rat
Taxonomy. Mus sumatrensis Raffles, 1821,
Malacca, Malaysia.
Classically treated as a member of the subgenus Nyctocleptes, but R. Lopez-Antonanzas and colleagues in 2013 showed that extant species of Rhizomys are very closely related with respect to known fossil taxa. Distributions of subspecies are poorly delineated, and multiple species may be present. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
R.s.sumatrensisRaffles,1821—SMalayPeninsulaSofSeberangPerai(Malaysia).
R.s.cinereusMcClelland,1841—EMyanmar,SYunnan(SWChina),Thailand,Laos,Vietnam,WCambodia,andMalayPeninsulaStoPahang(Malaysia).
R.s.insularisThomas,1915—NESumatra.
R. s. padangensis Brongersma, 1936 — Sumatra.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 260-480 mm, tail 100-200 mm; weight 2.1-4 kg. The Indomalayan Bamboo Ratis large, with light brown, shaggy pelage. Top of head and cheeks are reddish; belly is lighter and sparsely haired enough that bare skin can be seen between hairs. Tail is hairless and has pink tip. Upper incisors are extrabuccal, orange, and slightly proodont. Unlike other species of Rhizomyini, two posterior toe pads on hindfeet fuse into single pad in adults. There are ten nipples: 2 pairs of pectoral + 3 pairs of inguinal. Diploid number is 2n = 50.
Habitat. Bamboo thickets at elevations of 1000-4000 m. The Indomalayan Bamboo Rat is moderately tolerant of human disturbance.
Food and Feeding. The Indomalayan Bamboo Rat feeds primarily on bamboo, but it may eat roots of other plants or crops such as tapioca and sugarcane.
Breeding. Most reproductive activity of the Indomalayan Bamboo Rat occurs in February—April or August—-October. After gestation of 22 days, 3-5 young are born. It lives c.4 years.
Activity patterns. The Indomalayan Bamboo Rat is nocturnal. It emerges from its burrow to feed and is known to climb bamboo.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Burrows of Indomalayan Bamboo Rats are up to 9 m long and 1 m deep and are constructed in soft soil. One to six entrances are marked with large mounds.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List and the 2016 China Red List. The Indomalayan Bamboo Rat is known from several protected areas and can be common, but it may be in decline in some areas such as parts of southern Myanmar. It is hunted for food and is a crop pest.
Bibliography. Allen (1940), Aplin & Lunde (2008a), Brongersma (1936), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951), Jiang Zhigang et al. (2016), Lopez-Antonanzas et al. (2013), Musser & Carleton (2005), Smith (2008).
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 135-136, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6609100