Pale field rat
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| Pale field rat | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| 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.
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.[2]
The rats have become regionally extinct in some areas of its former range.
References
- Baillie (1996). Rattus tunneyi. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 21 June 2007.
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