Eliurus minor
Small Tuft-tailed Rat

Identification

This is the smallest of the tuft-tailed rats. It's upperparts are greyish-brown to cinnamon-brown with dark guard hairs, underparts are grey, there is an abrupt line of transition between the two. The tuft on the tail accounts for about 60% of the tail's length and is dark-brown or blackish. (Garbutt, 1999)

Eliurus minor at RNP

Physical Characteristics

Diet & Feeding

They forage from ground level to heights of several meters.

Behavior

They have been found in breeding condition in December.

They range from sea-level to altitudes of 1800m.

Taxonomy

Mammalia -> Rodentia -> Muridae (Nesomyinae) -> Eliurus minor

This species may be broken into several sub-species or species as more is learned about it.

Garbutt, N. 1999, Mammals of Madagascar, Yale University Press

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