THE NAMAQUALAND RAT 



THE NAMAQUALAND RAT 



(Rattus namaquensis) 



This Rat is an inhabitant of the sandy wastes of 

 Namaqualand, Great Bushman Land and Bechuana- 

 land. It is about 5J inches long, not including the 

 tail, which is somewhat shorter than the head and 

 body, and sparsely covered with bristles, which are 

 black above and white below. Upper parts fawn, 

 darker towards the hindquarters ; sides lighter ; 

 below white with a bluish tinge ; fur of back and 

 sides slaty at the base, but not so on the under 

 parts ; the ears, which are large, have short white 

 hairs inside ; claws covered with white hairs. 



Mr. Guy DoUman says : " This species does not 

 climb trees, but I have frequently found their 

 nests in old hollow trees which were lying on the 

 ground. They are fond of frequenting rocks and 

 the dry beds of spruits. When smoking out one of 

 these nests once in a fallen tree, rather an extra- 

 ordinary thing happened. For a long time there 

 was no sign of any mouse, then suddenly the female 

 came tumbling out on to the ground with four 

 newly-born hairless young ones, apparently hanging 

 on to her mammae ; she may have had one in her 

 mouth, but three were certainly hanging on to the 

 mammae." 



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