Photographed at Bukit Tinggi, Singapore
: identified as a probable Polynesian Rat on the basis of its approximate
size, and fur colour.
Order : RODENTIA
Family : Muridae
Species : Rattus exulans
Head-Body Length : Up to 14 cm
Tail Length : Up to 16 cm
Weight : Up to 65 gms
References : M1, M2 |
The Polynesian Rat is a
commensal species, closely associated with man : it is commonly found in the
vicinity of houses, farms and markets as well as rice paddies and coconut
plantations.
It is small to medium in size, with a maximum head-body length of 14 cm, and
a tail slightly longer than the body. The upperparts are greyish-brown or
reddish-brown and the upper fur is coarse and spiny. The underparts are
light grey. The tail is dark, long and thick.
Its diet is varied, and includes plants, food scraps and perhaps insects.
Their spherical nests are of built largely of woven grass.
The species ranges from Burma and Thailand throughout Malaysia and Singapore
to the islands of Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea and the Pacific.
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