Lesser Bandicoot Rat
Encyclopedia
The Lesser Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is a giant rat
of Southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoot
s. They can be up to 40 cm long (including the tail). It is considered a pest
in the cereal
crops and gardens of India
and Sri Lanka
, and emits piglike grunts when attacking. The name bandicoot is derived from the Telugu language
word "Pandikokku" which translates loosely to "pig
-rat
". Like the better known rats in the genus Rattus, Bandicoot Rats are members of the family Muridae
. The fur
is dark or (rarely) pale brown dorsal
ly, occasionally blackish, and light to dark grey ventrally. The head-body length is around 250 mm, and the uniformly dark tail
is shorter than the head-body length.
In Sri Lanka
, the bandicoot rat is known as "Uru-Meeya" in Sinhala Language, the meaning of which directly translates to "Pig-Rat".
These rats are also known to inhabit houses in village
s and are particularly aggressive when threatened. They are also seen as a threat to infants as a group of bandicoots can easily attack and devour a human child.
The controls are done by mechanical (mouse trap etc), rodenticides and biological control (by introducing rodent diseases etc)
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
of Southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoot
Bandicoot
Bandicoots are a group of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia.- Etymology :...
s. They can be up to 40 cm long (including the tail). It is considered a pest
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...
in the cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
crops and gardens of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and emits piglike grunts when attacking. The name bandicoot is derived from the Telugu language
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
word "Pandikokku" which translates loosely to "pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
-rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
". Like the better known rats in the genus Rattus, Bandicoot Rats are members of the family Muridae
Muridae
Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
. The fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
is dark or (rarely) pale brown dorsal
Dorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
ly, occasionally blackish, and light to dark grey ventrally. The head-body length is around 250 mm, and the uniformly dark tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
is shorter than the head-body length.
In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, the bandicoot rat is known as "Uru-Meeya" in Sinhala Language, the meaning of which directly translates to "Pig-Rat".
These rats are also known to inhabit houses in village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s and are particularly aggressive when threatened. They are also seen as a threat to infants as a group of bandicoots can easily attack and devour a human child.
The controls are done by mechanical (mouse trap etc), rodenticides and biological control (by introducing rodent diseases etc)