634.

Savile’s Bandicoot Rat

Bandicota savilei

French: Rat-bandicot de Savile / German: Savile-Bandikutratte / Spanish: Rata bandicut de Savile

Taxonomy. Bandicota savilei Thomas, 1916

, “Mount Popa, dry zone of Burma. Alt. about 2500’ [= 760 m].”

Polytypic, but number, diagnoses, and ranges ofsubspecies require review.

Distribution. C Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam; it may occur in lowland areas of Laos.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 145-225 mm, tail 75-178 mm, ear 22-26 mm, hindfoot 33-40 mm; weight 140-220 g. Savile’s Bandicoot Rat 1s medium-sized, between the Lesser Bandicoot Rat ( B. bengalensis) and the Greater Bandicoot Rat ( B. indica). Its tail is short, with 10-12 rows of scales/cm; dorsal pelage is soft and brownish, paler than in other species; there are six pairs of mammae; skull is medium-sized; nasal bones are long, extending beyond incisors; posterolateral surface of supraoccipital is greatly reduced; upper incisors are opisthodont; and posterior cingulum is present on M' and M*.

Habitat. Mainly agricultural habitats, near villages (rice paddies and maize crop), usually avoiding flooded habitats unlike the Greater Bandicoot Rat.

Food and Feeding. Savile's Bandicoot Rat is probably omnivorous, preferring plant material, and seems to favor eating maize crops.

Breeding. High densities of female Savile’s Bandicoot Rats were found in dry season. Pregnant females in Myanmar had 5-11 embryos.

Activity patterns. Savile's Bandicoot Rat is terrestrial, fossorial, and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Savile's Bandicoot Rat builds burrow systems similar to those of the Lesser Bandicoot Rat and the Greater Bandicoot Rat.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Aplin, Brown et al. (2003), Dang Huy Huynh et al. (1994), Musser & Brothers (1994).