Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family Muridae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Rodentia Genus Rhabdomys | |
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Similar Rhabdomys, Four‑striped grass mouse, Single‑striped grass mouse | ||
The mesic four-striped grass rat (Rhabdomys dilectus) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
Contents
Taxonomy
Traditionally the genus Rhabdomys has been seen as a single species, Rhabdomys pumilio, though modern evidence on the basis of karyotype and mtDNA analysis suggests that it comprises a second species, Rhabdomys dilectus .
R. dilectus is divided in the following subspecies.
Description
Rhabdomys dilectus is a fairly typical smallish murid, rather larger than house mice. Head+body length is between 90 and 135 mm, the length of the tail between 80 and 135 mm, the length of the foot between 17 and 33 mm, the length of the ears between 10.0 and 20 mm and the weight up to 68 g.
The back is dark reddish-brown and displays characteristic black longitudinal stripes. The stripes inspired the generic name, which is derived from the Greek rhabdos meaning rod, giving Rhabdomys, meaning something like "barred mouse". The ventral sides are lighter. The legs are dark grizzled. The tail is shorter than the head and body. It is a terrestrial species, crepuscular and solitary. It feeds mainly on seeds of wheat and partly on plants, berries and small invertebrates. It is considered a plague by farmers.
Distribution
It is found throughout the southern Africa, Angola and south-east Africa.
Habitat
He lives in the wetter mountain savannas up to 2,300 meters above sea level. It is often found in cultivated fields and in urban areas inside the houses.