Black-tailed Tree Rat

About the Black-tailed Tree Rat

The black-tailed tree rat, also called black-tailed acacia rat or black-tailed thallomys, (Thallomys nigricauda), is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is both nocturnal and arboreal and makes bulky nests in the trees, often acacias, where it feeds on leaves and buds.

The black-tailed tree rat is a medium-sized rodent with a head-and body length of about 135 mm (5 in) and a tail of about 145 mm (6 in). The sides of the face are grey, and a dark band extends from the muzzle to around the eyes and below the ears. The eyes are large and the whiskers are long. The ears are large, oval, and set at an oblique angle. The dorsal fur is long and woolly, slate grey tinged with yellow. The underparts are white, the limbs are grey and the upper sides of the broad feet are white. The long tail is clad in black scales and black bristles, and tipped with black hairs.

The black-tailed tree rat is endemic to southwestern Africa. Its range includes southwestern Angola, Namibia, Botswana and northwestern South Africa... Wikipedia →