Grandidier's Tuft Tailed Rat

Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus grandidieri) is a species of rodent from the family Nesomyidae. Morphological evidence suggests that Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat is most closely related to Petter's tufted-tailed rat, E. petteri.^[2] However, Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat is the smaller of the two species.

Distribution and range

Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat is endemic to Madagascar.^[1] It normally lives in middle to upper montane forests between the heights of 1,250 and 1,875 m (4,101 and 6,152 ft).^[2] It resides in both the Northern Highlands and the northern part of the Central Highlands in eastern Madagascar.^[2]

Habitat and ecology

Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat is present in sclerophyllous forest and is presumed to be a partly scansorial species.^[1] The species is forest depended and has not been captured outside of forest or in alpine grasslands, though it may occur just below the tree line.^[1]

Female Grandidier's tufted-tailed rats are believed to give birth to up to three young.^[1]

Conservation status

Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its widely dispersed localities.^[1] The population trend of the species, however, is unknown.^[1] There is deforestation in the habitat of the Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat for conversion to cultivated land, but there is not enough population loss from this deforestation for the species to be listed as more threatened.^[1] There is sufficient evidence that all species from the family Nesomyidae, especially those that commonly live upwards of 800 m (2,600 ft), are susceptible to a 100 percent mortality rate from plagues carried by introduced rodents, and these seem to be localized events.^[1] The species is located in three protected areas: the Anjanaharibe-Sud and Manongarivo Special Reserves and the Marojejy National Park.^[1]

References