Pale field rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pale field rat |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Rattus
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| Species: |
tunneyi
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The pale field rat (Rattus tunneyi) is a small rat that lives only in Australia. It is active at night and eats plants. During the day, it stays hidden in shallow burrows dug in loose sand. This rat used to live in many places across Australia. Now, it is mostly found in grasslands, sedges, and cane-fields in the north and east of the continent. Its fur is a pretty yellow-brown color, with grey or cream on its belly. This medium-sized rat has a tail that is shorter than its body.
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Discovering the Pale Field Rat
The pale field rat was first described in 1904 by a scientist named Oldfield Thomas. He named the rat after J. T. Tunney, who collected the first specimens for the British Museum. The main rat used for the description was a female found near the Mary River in Australia's Northern Territory.
At first, Thomas placed this new species in the same group as mice, called Mus. He thought it was similar to the common rat known in Europe.
Today, we recognize two main types, or subspecies, of the pale field rat. The first type, Rattus tunneyi tunneyi, lives in the north and west. The second type, Rattus tunneyi culmorum, lives along the east coast. This rat is also known as Tunney's rat or the Australian pale field rat.
What Does the Pale Field Rat Look Like?
The pale field rat is a medium-sized rat with a round, wide head. Its fur on top is a warm, toffee-like brown color. This color fades to a lighter cream or grayish-white on its belly. The hair on its back is slate-grey underneath, with sandy-buff tips. Some hairs are longer, making its coat look soft and appealing.
A key feature of this rat is its tail. It measures about 80 to 150 millimeters long. This is clearly shorter than its head and body, which together are 120 to 195 millimeters long. These rats usually weigh between 50 and 210 grams.
The pale field rat has pale pinkish ears, about 15 to 20 millimeters long. Its large eyes often look like they are bulging out. Female rats have ten nipples, which helps them feed their young. Their feet are covered with white hair on top.
Pale Field Rat Behavior
These rats are generally calm and peaceful. They live together in loose, scattered groups. They are not known to be very social, but they do have paths between their nests. This suggests they interact with each other.
Breeding usually happens in the Australian autumn. However, in the northwest, it can happen a bit later in the year. A mother rat typically has about 4 babies at a time. But, a litter can range from 2 to 11 young.
The female rat's reproductive cycle lasts about 4 to 5 days. Pregnancy lasts 21 to 22 days. After giving birth, females can get pregnant again quickly. This means their population can grow quite fast. Unlike some other rat species, their numbers do not change wildly.
Where Does the Pale Field Rat Live?
The pale field rat once lived almost everywhere on mainland Australia. Now, it is mostly found in tall grasslands in northern Australia. It used to live as far inland as Alice Springs. Today, it is mainly found near the coast.
This species has disappeared from many areas where it once lived. Its living range shrank a lot during the 1900s. For example, in South Australia, we only find old bones of these rats.
The eastern type, R. tunneyi culmorum, lives from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales up to Coen in Queensland. The western type, R. tunneyi tunneyi, lives west of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is found along the northern coast to the Kimberley region and on islands near the Pilbara region in Western Australia. You might also find them in sugar cane fields on the east coast. They are sometimes seen at campsites or on rocky slopes in the Kakadu National Park.
These rats prefer to live in woodlands, thick sedges, or grassy areas under monsoon forests. They also like wetter open grasslands. They often live near water, where the soil is loose and crumbly. This type of soil is important for them to dig their burrows.
What Does the Pale Field Rat Eat?
The pale field rat is a vegetarian. It eats grass stems, seeds, tubers (like potatoes), and roots. During the day, it rests in shallow burrows it digs in loose soil.
Sadly, the places where these rats live are often used for farming animals like cattle. When cattle walk on the land, they can make the soil hard. This can damage the rat's habitat. Wild cats also hunt these rats, which puts pressure on their populations. The pale field rat mostly stays on the ground to find food. Its shallow burrows provide a safe place to hide during the day.
The eastern type of this rat breeds mainly in the Australian spring, from September to November. The northern type breeds during the drier part of the year, from March to August.
In Queensland, the pale field rat was once seen as a pest. It would eat the roots of hoop pine trees (Araucaria cunninghamii). This would damage young trees in timber plantations.
See also
In Spanish: Rattus tunneyi para niños
