Bandicoot rat

The Bandicoot Rat, Bandicota bengalensis, is a giant rat of southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoots. 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 "Pandhikukka" which translates loosely to "pig-dog". 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 dorsally, 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.

Related Topics:
Rat - Asia - Bandicoot - Pest - Cereal - India - Sri Lanka - Telugu language - Rattus - Muridae

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These rats are also known to inhabit houses in villages and are particularly agressive when threatened. They are also seen as a threat to infants as a group of bandicoots can easily attack and devour a human child.

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