BAMBOO RAT

any of several species of burrowing Asiatic rodents of the genera Rhizomys and Cannomys, belonging to the family Rhizomyidae (order Rodentia). Bamboo rats are thickset, short-legged, and short-tailed, with gray, grayish brown, or reddish brown fur. Members of the genus Rhizomys are 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 inches) long, exclusive of the tail. The lesser, or chestnut, bamboo rat (C. badius) is smaller, about 17 to 25 cm long without the tail. Bamboo rats burrow with their teeth and claws. They eat bamboo but also take fruit, seeds, and other plant material. Members of the genus Rhizomys are found in bamboo-covered areas of southeastern Asia and the Malay Peninsula. The lesser bamboo rat lives in gardens, forests, and grassy regions of southern and southeastern Asia.