Wildlifeof India
Herbert's Long-tailed Giant Rat
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: Ian Dugdale · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Leopoldamys herberti
Basic stats
Range
Indochina; the Mammal Diversity Database list is broad (Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) and may reflect an older species concept
Herbert's long-tailed giant rat, Leopoldamys herberti, was described by Kloss in 1916 as a form of a larger rat from Pak Jong in eastern Siam, now northern Thailand. It was later treated as part of the long-tailed giant rat, then restored as a separate species. A 2023 study of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene supported it, with L. revertens and L. neilli, as a valid Indochinese species (Mammal Diversity Database; Sains Malaysiana 2023).
Because the names herberti and revertens have been confused, older accounts may mix species, and the broad range list that includes India may reflect the old combined species. No description, habitat or diet information was found, so this is a short entry.
Quick answers
- Where is the Herbert's Long-tailed Giant Rat found?
- Indochina; the Mammal Diversity Database list is broad (Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia) and may reflect an older species concept