Red rock rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red rock rat |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Aethomys
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| Species: |
chrysophilus
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The red rock rat, also known as the red veld rat, is a type of rodent found in southern Africa. Its scientific name is Aethomys chrysophilus. These small animals belong to the Muridae family, which includes many rats and mice.
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About the Red Rock Rat
The red rock rat is a medium-sized rat. Adult rats are about 12 to 17 cm (4.7 to 6.7 in) long from head to body. They also have a long tail, measuring 13 to 20 cm (5.1 to 7.9 in). These rats usually weigh between 40 to 114 g (1.4 to 4.0 oz). Male and female rats are about the same size.
What They Look Like
Their fur is mostly reddish-brown on their back and sides. It's mixed with some dark brown or black hairs. This gives them a color that can be orange-yellow, cinnamon, or medium brown. Their belly is white or very light grey. There's a clear line where the colors meet. They have a strong head with a thick snout. Female red rock rats have three pairs of teats.
It can be tricky to tell red rock rats apart from other similar rats. For example, they look almost exactly like the Tete veld rat. Scientists often need to do genetic tests or look at their spermatozoa to tell them apart.
Where They Live
Red rock rats live across a large part of southern Africa. It's hard to know their exact southern boundary. This is because they look so much like Tete veld rats, which live in South Africa and Eswatini.
Their Home Range
Red rock rats are thought to live in eastern Africa. Their range goes from southern Kenya through eastern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. They also live in the north-eastern parts of South Africa. Further west, they are found in most of Zambia and Botswana. Their range extends to northern Namibia and south-western Angola.
Their Habitat
These rats prefer to live in savannah or woodland areas. They like places with lots of plants or rocky spots. They usually live below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation. You can often find them in miombo and mopane forests. However, they can live in many different places. The most important thing is that they have good ground cover to hide in.
Scientists have found fossils of rats that look just like modern red rock rats. These fossils are very old, dating back about 3.7 million years. They were found in South Africa.
Biology and Behavior
Red rock rats are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. However, they mostly eat plants. Their diet includes seeds, fruits, green leaves, and starchy roots.
Daily Life and Shelter
During the day, they rest in cup-shaped nests. They build these nests in burrows, rock cracks, or termite mounds. In the wild, they seem to be territorial. This means they might act aggressively towards other red rock rats that enter their space. But if kept together in captivity, they can learn to get along. They will even form a group with a leader.
Population Changes
Usually, there aren't many red rock rats in one area. But their numbers can change quickly. During the wet season, their population grows fast. There can be up to 6 per hectare (2.4/acre) (six rats per hectare). Then, in the hot, dry season, their numbers drop. They can go down to 0.2 per hectare (0.081/acre) or even less.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
In the wild, red rock rats usually breed during the rainy season. This is typically from October to January. However, if they are kept in captivity, they can breed at any time of the year.
A female rat is pregnant for 29 days. She usually gives birth to three young, but can have between one and five. When they are born, the babies are blind and helpless. They have thin black fur on most of their body, but their undersides are bare. Their teeth are already present at birth. Their eyes open after 10 to 14 days.
Newborn rats weigh only about 5 g (0.18 oz). They are about 4 cm (1.6 in) long from head to body. They grow very quickly. They stop drinking milk from their mother between 24 and 33 days old. By this time, they already have their adult fur and look like smaller versions of adult rats.
The young rats reach their full adult size around seven weeks old. They might still be a bit lighter than fully grown adults at this point. They can start having their own babies when they are about 82 days old. However, they might not have their first litter until they are up to six months old.
