Acacia Rat

Acacia Rat

Thallomys paedulcus

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Ruaha National Park
5 Verified sightings at Ruaha National Park From 2019 to 2026
20 Verified sightings across all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Acacia Rat

The acacia rat (Thallomys paedulcus), or black-tailed tree rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is a small arboreal rodent that is extensively dependent on Acacia trees. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Child, M.F. & Taylor, P. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Thallomys paedulcus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T21692A115163143. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T21692A22435824.en. Retrieved 26 November 2023.

Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1509. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

Karantanis, N., Rychlik, L., Herrel, A., & Youlatos, D. (2017). Arboreality in acacia rats ( Thallomys paedulcus; Rodentia, Muridae): gaits and gait metrics. Journal of Zoology : Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London., 303(2), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ruaha National Park

Ochre Bush Squirrel
LC

Ochre Bush Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Paraxerus ochraceus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Smith's Bush Squirrel
LC

Smith's Bush Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Paraxerus cepapi

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
2 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
3 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
4 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
5 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
6 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
7 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Acacia Rat in Ruaha National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Acacia Rat sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Acacia Rat in Ruaha National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Acacia Rat in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.

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