Mammaling
MammalingSpecies accountsRodents › Muridae

Savile's Bandicoot Rat

Bandicota savilei
LC · Least concern Rodentia Muridae
Activity
Variable (day and night).
Sociability
Solitary.

Description

A medium-sized rat from mainland South-East Asia, closely associated with dry farmland, where it feeds on crops such as maize and is studied as a potential vector of diseases transmissible to humans.

How to identify it

Medium-sized within its genus, smaller than the Greater Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota indica); distinguished from it mainly by its smaller size, as they share the same general appearance.

Signs and tracks

Excavates burrows in dry farmland; leaves gnawed stems of maize and other crops as tracks and signs of its presence and feeding activity.

Habitat and range

Dry agricultural land in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Diet

Omnivorous, with crops such as maize forming an important part of its diet.

Behaviour

Excavates burrows in farmland; can carry pathogens such as Leptospira, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Bartonella and hantaviruses, which are relevant to public health.

Conservation

A widely distributed species with no indication of significant decline.

Threats

No significant threats to the species; on the contrary, it can cause damage to agricultural crops.

Other accounts in Muridae

See all species accounts for rodents · Full species index

Have you seen the savile's bandicoot rat?

Mammaling is a free app for logging the mammals you find. You record a sighting in a moment — even if it's just a track — your life list grows, and the record becomes available to scientific and conservation projects.

It runs on your phone with nothing to install. If you like, it adds to your home screen like any other app.

Open Mammaling