What is "bamboo rat"

Rat \Rat\ (r[a^]t), n. [AS. r[ae]t; akin to D. rat, OHG. rato, ratta, G. ratte, ratze, OLG. ratta, LG. & Dan. rotte, Sw. r[*a]tta, F. rat, Ir. & Gael radan, Armor. raz, of unknown origin. Cf. Raccoon.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) One of several species of small rodents of the genus Rattus (formerly included in Mus) and allied genera, of the family Muridae, distinguished from mice primarily by being larger. They infest houses, stores, and ships, especially the Norway rat, also called brown rat, ( Rattus norvegicus formerly Mus decumanus), the black rat ( Rattus rattus formerly Mus rattus), and the roof rat (formerly Mus Alexandrinus, now included in Rattus rattus). These were introduced into America from the Old World. The white rat used most commonly in laboratories is primarily a strain derived from Rattus rattus.

2. A round and tapering mass of hair, or similar material, used by women to support the puffs and rolls of their natural hair. [Local, U.S.]

3. One who deserts his party or associates; hence, in the trades, one who works for lower wages than those prescribed by a trades union. [Cant] Note: ``It so chanced that, not long after the accession of the house of Hanover, some of the brown, that is the German or Norway, rats, were first brought over to this country (in some timber as is said); and being much stronger than the black, or, till then, the common, rats, they in many places quite extirpated the latter. The word (both the noun and the verb to rat) was first, as we have seen, leveled at the converts to the government of George the First, but has by degrees obtained a wider meaning, and come to be applied to any sudden and mercenary change in politics.'' --Lord Mahon. Bamboo rat (Zo["o]l.), any Indian rodent of the genus Rhizomys. Beaver rat, Coast rat. (Zo["o]l.) See under Beaver and Coast. Blind rat (Zo["o]l.), the mole rat. Cotton rat (Zo["o]l.), a long-haired rat ( Sigmodon hispidus), native of the Southern United States and Mexico. It makes its nest of cotton and is often injurious to the crop. Ground rat. See Ground Pig, under Ground. Hedgehog rat. See under Hedgehog. Kangaroo rat (Zo["o]l.), the potoroo. Norway rat (Zo["o]l.), the common brown rat. See Rat. Pouched rat. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. See Pocket Gopher, under Pocket.

   2. Any African rodent of the genus Cricetomys.

      Rat Indians (Ethnol.), a tribe of Indians dwelling near Fort Ukon, Alaska. They belong to the Athabascan stock.

      Rat mole. (Zo["o]l.) See Mole rat, under Mole.

      Rat pit, an inclosed space into which rats are put to be killed by a dog for sport.

      Rat snake (Zo["o]l.), a large colubrine snake ( Ptyas mucosus) very common in India and Ceylon. It enters dwellings, and destroys rats, chickens, etc.

      Spiny rat (Zo["o]l.), any South American rodent of the genus Echinomys.

      To smell a rat. See under Smell.

      Wood rat (Zo["o]l.), any American rat of the genus Neotoma, especially Neotoma Floridana, common in the Southern United States. Its feet and belly are white.

The bamboo rats are four species of rodents of the subfamily Rhizomyinae. They are the sole living representatives of the tribe Rhizomyini. All are found in the eastern half of Asia.

The species are:

• The Chinese bamboo rat, Rhizomys sinensis, found in central and southern China, northern Burma, and Vietnam;
• The hoary bamboo rat, R. pruinosus, found from Assam in India to southeastern China and the Malay Peninsula;
• The Sumatra, Indomalayan, or large bamboo rat, R. sumatrensis, found in Yunnan, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.
• The lesser bamboo rat, Cannomys badius, found in Nepal, Assam, northern Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and northern Vietnam.

Bamboo rats vary in size, from the lesser bamboo rat, which is typically 15 to 25 cm long (head and body: tail length is 6–8 cm), and weighs from 500 to 750 g, to the Sumatra bamboo rat, which can reach lengths of nearly 50 cm with a 20 cm tail, and weighs up to 4 kg. However, they are all bulky, slow-moving rodents that live and forage in extensive burrow systems and rarely spend much time above ground. They feed on the underground parts of plants. They live at altitudes of 1200 to 4000 m and, except for the lesser bamboo rat, feed principally on bamboo and live in dense bamboo thickets. The lesser bamboo rat is more variable in its habitat, living in grassy areas, forests, and sometimes gardens, and eats a wider variety of vegetation.

All the bamboo rats are regarded as agricultural pests, since they eat the roots of a range of crop plants such as tapioca, sugar cane, and tea bushes, but they are also recognised as valuable food animals. Chinese bamboo rats are sold in food markets in China.

The bamboo rats are the natural hosts for the disease-causing mold, Penicillium marneffei, which is endemic in all species in Southeast Asia. In this area, penicilliosis due to the mold is the third most common opportunistic infection in HIV-positive individuals.