MANED RAT

also called Crested Rat (Lophiomys imhausi), large rodent of the family Cricetidae (order Rodentia), found in highland forests of eastern Africa. Long-haired and bushy-tailed, the maned rat is 25 to 35 cm (10 to 14 inches) long excluding its long tail. It has soft, thick fur, of an overall grayish colour, and has small ears and short legs. From head to tail, it has a mane of long hair that is erected when the animal is disturbed. The mane is set off from the rest of the animal's coat by a broad, white-bordered band of short hair covering a glandular area of skin. The maned rat is nocturnal and a good climber and lives among rocks or in a burrow under tree roots. It eats leaves and shoots, sitting up and manipulating its food with its forepaws.