Taxon name
Bandicota bengalensis
(Gray, 1835)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Bandicota bengalensis
(Gray, 1835)
Common name(s)
Lesser Bandicoot Rat, Indian Molerat, Sind Rice Rat, Khet-indur, Metho-indur, Math-indur
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
(Gray, 1835)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Arvicola bengalensis Gray, 1835; Mus tarayensis Horsfield, 1855; Mus blythianus Anderson, 1878
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Bangladesh
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
Listed as Least Concern in the view of its wide distribution throughout the country (Khan 1987) and presumed large population. Moreover, this species can tolerate a broad range of habitats (Aplin et al. 2008). It does not fulfill any criteria to qualify threatened categories.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Sharmin Akhtar
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp; IUCN (2012) Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
http://iucnredlistbd.org/
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Native to Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Introduced to Indonesia and Saudi Arabia (Aplin et al. 2008).Widely distributed throughout the country (Khan 1982, 2008, Chakma 2009).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes, in the publication/on website
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is terrestrial, burrower and crepuscular. Usually aggressive; erects piles of long hairs and grunts when excited. Feeds on variety of foods but usually vegetables, grass, roots, grains, tubers, seeds and also invertebrates (Chakma 2009). It inhabits a wide range of habitats including forests, agricultural lands and suburban areas. Prefers cultivated land (Chakma 2009). It is a known pest of all cultivated crops and stored grains (Khan 1987).
History
Not Threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh 2000).
Publication
IUCN Bangladesh. 2015. Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. xvi+232
