Pale field rat
| Pale field rat | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Rattus |
| Species: | R. tunneyi |
| Binomial name | |
| Rattus tunneyi (Thomas, 1904) | |
The pale field rat (Rattus tunneyi), also known as Tunney's rat,[1] is a nocturnal herbivore endemic in Australia. It once occupied almost all areas of mainland Australia, but is now found only in tall grasslands in northern Australia.[2]
The pale field rat is yellow-brown and either grey or cream on the underside. It eats grass stems, seeds and roots, and during the day rests in a shallow burrows dug in loose, crumbly soil. With the introduction of cattle, its habitat has been negatively affected by soil compaction. Feral cats also devastate populations.[3]
The rats have become regionally extinct in some areas of its former range.
References
- ↑ http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q91VB3
- ↑ Morris, K., Burbidge, A., Aplin, K. and Ellis, M. (2008). Rattus tunneyi. In: IUCN (2008). 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- ↑ http://www.theage.com.au/environment/feral-cats-devastating-threat-to-native-animals-laid-bare-20121228-2bzdz.html
- Baillie (1996). "Rattus tunneyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
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