Golunda ellioti Gray 1837

411.

Indian Bush Rat

Golunda ellioti

French: Golunda indien / German: Kaffeeratte / Spanish: Rata peluda de India

Taxonomy. Golunda ellioti Gray, 1837, “Dharwar, [Karnataka State], India.”

Golunda elliot 1s morphologically variable across its extensive geographic range, with twelve available names. J. R. Eller man in 1961 recognized seven subspecies, with possible primary division between northern and southern populations. V. C. Agrawal and S. Chakraborty in 1982 recognized two subspecies in India, based primarily on ventral fur color, but V. C.

Agrawal in 2000 reported blurring of the supposed distinctions and referred all mainland Indianand Pakistani populations to nominotypical subspecies. Two forms are sometimes recognized in Sri Lanka, typical elliot: in lowlands and nuwara in uplands above 1200 m. Genus is in need of taxonomic revision across its range. Here treated as monotypic.

Distribution. SE Iran (Kerman Province), Pakistan, India, S Nepal,and Sri Lanka; range may have expanded with development of agricultural landscapes.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 97-170 mm, tail 74-131 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 20-28 mm; weight 63-112 g. The Indian Bush Rat is a medium-sized, rather vole-like rat with broad, blunt head,stocky build, and short, thick tail. Adult fur is typically coarse and shaggy, guard hairs prominent, spines variably developed; fur is longer and softer in higher-elevation populations. Dorsal fur is yellow-brown to gray-brown, flecked with black, typically darker along mid-back than on flanks. Contour hairs slate-gray basally, with tawny yellow tips; spines pale; guard hairs dark along entire length. Ventral fur is pale yellow to roots or with gray bases, proportions of two morphs varying between populations. Gradual transition from dorsal to ventral coloration on flanks. Head has patches of buff fur on vibrissal pads, around eyes, and at base of ears. Vibrissae are moderately long and fine, mostly black, folding back to base of ears. Ears rounded, moderately large, clothed with short brown hairs. Tail 69-102% of head-body length, with overlapping scales and short, coarse hairs; bicolored from base to tip, scales and hairs dark brown on upper surface and yellowish gray below. Limbs are relatively short, concolorous with flanks. Upper surfaces of feet are flecked withdarker hairs; skin of plantar surfaces gray. Forefeet have four functional digits; first digit reduced to nubbin bearing flattened nail. Hindfeet have five digits, first and fifth short; all bear weakly curved claws. Four mammae on each side (two pectoral and two inguinal). Skin on body is thin and easily torn. Distinctive odor was described by A. C. Tutein-Nolthenius in 1932 as “fairly strong, and quite peculiar”. Cranium is distinguished by broad upper incisor with dark orange enamel and grooved outer surface; molars proportionately very large, broad and strongly cuspidate, and low-crowned; auditory bullae moderately large. Karyotype is 2n = 54 (0—4 supplementary B chromosomes). Upland Sri Lankan population (nuwara) has unusually thick and soft fur, with narrow spines and dorsum darker than in typical form; subspecies ellioti is also reported from Sri Lanka, butdistribution and nature of interaction are not documented.

Habitat. Found in a variety of natural habitats across multiple biomes up to ¢.2000 m, from semi-evergreen and deciduous forests to shrublands and grasslands, including wet “patana” grasslands in Sri Lanka. In Nepal, confined to “terai” habitat. In drier regions, often associated with watercourses or wetlands. Throughout range this species occurs also in anthropogenic habitats, including orchards, coffee plantations, and cereal crops.

Food and Feeding. Indian Bush Rats feed on grass stems and roots, seeds, berries, young shoots, buds and blossoms of coffee bushes, and citrus fruit in orchards. Dental morphology and pattern of microwear suggest strong preference for grasses.

Breeding. Reproduction occurs year-round, with litter sizes of 4-11 (average 7-3) reported in Rajasthan, India. Breeding restricted to spring and summer in south-east Iran, with smaller litters (3—4) “usual.” Breeding in Sri Lanka is “in the early part of the year,” with litter size “about 3.” Nests usually constructed above ground, less often or rarely in burrows; nest made from dry grass stems, globular and 15-25 cm in diameter, and typically atbase of grass tussock or dense shrub, sometimes inside log or among tree roots. Simple linear burrow with two bulbous chambers and two entrances reported from Madhya Pradesh, India.

Activity patterns. The Indian Bush Ratis stated variously as being nocturnal, crepuscular, and diurnal, the last in areas of exceptionally dense ground cover. In Sri Lanka, feeding activity reported by W. W. A. Phillips as occurring “in the morning up to about

09:00 h and again in the evenings from about 16:30 h onwards”. Primarily terrestrial but a capable climber; ascends coffee bushes to nibble off the berry-bearing shoots.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Anecdotal accounts of nests occupied singly apart from when females are rearing young suggest a solitary lifestyle. Areas occupied by this species have well-marked runs or paths between nests and feeding areas.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Listed in Schedule V (Vermin) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Formerly an agricultural pest of coffee plantations in Sri Lanka, and prone to dramatic population changes. Now listed by D. K. Weerakoon as Endangered in Sri Lanka.

Bibliography. Abe (1982), Agrawal (2000), Agrawal & Chakraborty (1982), Brandy et al. (1980), Corbet & Hill (1992), Darvish et al. (2012), Ellerman (1947, 1961), Fabre et al. (2015), Hill (1939), Jacobs (1978), Jain (1985), Kelaart (1850), Kotlia & Sanwal (2004), Madjdzadeh (2012), Misonne (1969, 1990), Molur & Nameer (2008c), Musser (1987b), Nazari & Farid (1991), Niroshini & Meegaskumbura (2014), Patnaik (1997), Phillips (1932), Prakash (1971, 1995), Prakash & Singh (1997 1999), Prater (1965), Rao et al. (1979), Roberts (1977), Rodrigues et al. (2009), Thomas (1923b), Weerakoon (2012), Wesselman (1984), Wroughton (1920).