Kingdom Animalia Family Muridae Genus Golunda
Gray, 1837 Phylum Chordata Order Rodent | Class Mammalia Subfamily Murinae Scientific name Golunda ellioti Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Hadromys, Chrotomys, Aethomys, Maxomys, Rodent | ||
The Indian bush rat (Golunda ellioti) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only extant member of the genus Golunda.
The species is widely distributed in the Indian Subcontinent west to Kohat and east to the Bhutan Duars. It also occurs in Sri Lanka. As many as 11 subspecies are recognized.
The genus name is derived from the Kannada name of Gulandi while the specific name is after Sir Walter Elliot. 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). In Sri Lanka, it is known as පදුරු මීයා in Sinhala.
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.