What are the types of bamboo rats? Introduction to common species

The bamboo rat, scientifically known as the bamboo rat, is also called bamboo liu, mang li, pig rat, bamboo li, bamboo root rat, winter fur rat, etc., belonging to the class Mammalia, order Rodentia, genus Rhizomys. It gets its name because it mainly eats bamboo, and the wild species are very precious. Worldwide there are altogether 3 genera and 6 species: 2 species in the genus Thryonomys (endemic to East Africa), 3 species in the genus Rhizomys, and 1 species in the genus Cannomys (endemic to Asia, found in southern China). In China there is 1 genus and 3 species. Bamboo rats inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests, scrublands and bamboo groves of eastern Africa and southern Asia. They have large bodies and abundant meat, a delicious taste, rich nutrition, and thick, soft fur, giving them high economic value and medicinal value. At present they have been bred on a large scale, becoming one of the breeding industries with economic benefits.

Chinese bamboo rat

The Chinese bamboo rat is mainly distributed in the central and southern regions of China, and is also found in northern Myanmar and Vietnam. Specifically, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Hunan, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, western Sichuan, southern Gansu, southern Shaanxi, northern Hubei, etc.

Hoary bamboo rat

The hoary bamboo rat is mainly found in the southeastern regions of China as well as India, the Malay Peninsula and other places. Such as Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian and other places. It lives underground, feeding on reed grass roots, cogongrass roots, bamboo roots, bamboo nodes, bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots; it breeds in all four seasons, with peak breeding in spring and autumn; the gestation period is 45 days, with 1-5 young per litter, and a nursing period of 1.5 months.

Large bamboo rat

The large bamboo rat is mainly found in the Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan in China as well as the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and other regions. It has a large, fat body and is the largest individual bamboo rat. It goes out to activity at dawn and dusk; it feeds on bamboo roots and bamboo shoots, and also eats other plants. It mates and breeds from February to April and from August to October, with a gestation period of 45—50 days; 3-8 young per litter. Its distribution area is narrow, its numbers are few, and it is a rare species.

Lesser bamboo rat

The lesser bamboo rat is the smallest bamboo rat, mainly found in western Yunnan as well as Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and other places. It is distributed in the tropical rainforest at an altitude of about 600 m along the China-Myanmar border and in the bamboo thickets at its edge, mostly digging burrows to survive in environments such as edible canna and cassava fields, with a gestation period of 40 days and 1-5 young per litter. Its distribution area is narrow and its numbers are few, so it belongs to the rare species.