Wildlifeof India
Sahyadris Forest Rat
Rats, Mice, Voles & Porcupines
Photo: Amruta Varudkar Uploaded by Vinayaraj · CC BY 3.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Rattus satarae
Basic stats
Diet
Fruits and insects
Habitat
Moist deciduous and evergreen forest at 700–2,150m; middle and high canopy
Range
Northern Western Ghats: Satara in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri mountains and Kodagu
The Sahyadris forest rat has a long, soft coat with a golden-brown back and a white underside, and a very long tail. It was originally described as a subspecies of the black rat because of its similar appearance. It is native to the northern Western Ghats, where it is split between three regions: Satara in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri mountains in Tamil Nadu and Kodagu district in Karnataka (Wikipedia, general species account).
It has only been seen in moist deciduous and evergreen forest, between 700 and 2,150 m. It lives almost entirely in nests or burrows in the middle or high canopy, only occasionally coming to the ground near the base of a tree or vine, and it eats fruits and insects (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Sahyadris Forest Rat eat?
- Fruits and insects
- What habitat does the Sahyadris Forest Rat live in?
- Moist deciduous and evergreen forest at 700–2,150m; middle and high canopy
- Where is the Sahyadris Forest Rat found?
- Northern Western Ghats: Satara in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri mountains and Kodagu