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Müller's Rat

Sundamys muelleri
LC · Least concern Rodentia Muridae
Activity
Variable (day and night)
Sociability
Solitary

Description

A large rat from island South-East Asia whose name commemorates a 19th-century German naturalist who explored the fauna of the East Indies.

How to identify it

Large for a murid; distinguishing Müller's Rat from other large rats in the same region requires examination of cranial features, given the similar general appearance across species in the group.

Signs and tracks

It digs burrows and surface runways in the forest floor; remnants of gnawed fruit and seeds indicate its feeding activity.

Habitat and range

Forest in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.

Diet

Omnivorous; seeds, fruit and other plant matter, alongside occasional invertebrates.

Behaviour

Terrestrial, with habits similar to other large rats in the region.

Conservation

A widely distributed species with no signs of significant decline.

Threats

No major threats have been identified at a global scale.

Other accounts in Muridae

See all species accounts for rodents · Full species index

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