| Woolly Giant Rat | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Genus: | Kunsia |
| Species: | K. tomentosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Kunsia tomentosus Lichtenstein, 1830 |
|
The Woolly Giant Rat, Kunsia tomentosus, is a burrowing rodent species from South America. It is found in wet grasslands in Bolivia and Brazil, where it feeds on roots and grasses. They prefer elevations from sea level to about one thousand metres above sea level. They create burrows in which to live and travel.
The South American Giant Rat is the largest living rat. It can measure up to 30cm (1 foot) in length, and carries a tail as long as 16cm (6 inches) long. Its dark brown mixed with gray fur is thick on the top of its body, but thins out toward the under parts. The thinner under parts are also lighter in colour. The tail is almost always black. The large claws and feet of the rat are perfect digging tools.[1]
Woolly Giant Rats are an invasive species that are known to inhabit the Freeport, IL area**.