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Lesser Bandicoot Rat

Bandicota bengalensis

Classification

Family
Muridae

The lesser bandicoot rat, Sindhi rice rat, Bengal rat or Indian mole-rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is a giant rat of Southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoots which are marsupials. They can be up to 40 cm (16 in) long (including the tail), are considered a pest in the cereal crops and gardens of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, and emit piglike grunts when attacking. The name bandicoot is derived from the Telugu language word pandikokku, which translates loosely to "pig-rat".

Distribution

(c) R K, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
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