THE WHITE-NOSED RAT 



tail a little shorter, thinly clothed with bristles 

 which are brown above and paler below ; mammae 

 ten in number. 



THE WHITE-NOSED RAT 



(Rattus couch a) 



THE White-nosed Rat seems to be generally dis- 

 tributed throughout South Africa, and extends up 

 beyond the Equator. 



This Rat is usually found in situations which 

 afford abundance of cover, such as the rank grasses 

 and rushes in the vleys, the thick scrub and matted 

 grass of the veld and hill-sides. It seems to have a 

 tendency to become a house- dweller, for it has 

 frequently been trapped in dwellings and outhouses. 

 It builds its nest in burrows in the ground, in a 

 thorny acacia tree, or any other suitable tree, shrub, 

 or in dense scrub. The White-nosed Rat has rather 

 long fur on the back, which is dark brown, owing to 

 the hairs being tipped with pale brown and black 

 intermixed ; under parts dull white ; feet pure 

 white ; claws nearly concealed by long white hairs 

 which project beyond them ; tip of the nose white ; 

 head and body about 5 inches ; tail shorter, covered 

 with bristles which are dark above and white below. 



Owing to its wide distribution, this Rat varies a 

 good deal in size and coloration. A local race 

 which occurs in Zululand has been named a sub- 

 species, viz. Rattus concha z>uluensis. 

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