Indian bush rat

The Indian bush rat (Golunda ellioti) is a rodent species in the family Muridae. It is the only extant member of the genus Golunda, and is the only extant member of the tribe Arvicanthini found outside of Africa.[2]

Indian bush rat
At Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Golunda
Species:
G. ellioti
Binomial name
Golunda ellioti
Gray, 1837

The species is widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent west to Kohat and east to Guwahati. It also occurs in Sri Lanka. In addition, an isolated population exists in southeastern Iran. As many as 11 subspecies are recognized.[3][4][1]

The genus name is derived from the Kannada name of Gulandi while the specific name is after Sir Walter Elliot.[5] The nominate form is from southern India. Other forms include limitaris (northwestern limits), paupera (Punjab), watsoni (Sind), gujerati (Gujarat), bombax (Bombay), coraginis (Coorg), coffaeus (Sri Lanka), newera (Sri Lanka), myiothrix (Nepal) and coenosa (Bhutan Duars, Hasimara).[4]

Description

Head and body length is 12–14 cm. Tail is 9–11. Yellowish brown upperparts are speckled with black and reddish yellow. Ventral surface grayish with a yellowish speckle. Orange-yellow incisor teeth. Tail, dark above and yellowish below. Body fur spiny. Rounded head with a blunt nose, with small eyes mark. Relatively short bill.

References
  1. Molur, S. & Nameer, P.O. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Golunda ellioti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T9303A115091717. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T9303A22420024.en. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  2. Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1322. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. Oldfield, T. (1923). "Scientific results from the Mammal Survey. No. XLII. The distribution and geographical races of the Gulandi Bush Rats (Golunda ellioti)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 29: 373–376.
  4. Ellerman, J.R. (1941). The families and genera of living rodents. Vol. 2. Family Muridae. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 267–268.
  5. Blanford, W.T. (1891). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London. pp. 427–428.


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