Greater Bandicoot-rat

Greater Bandicoot-rat

Bandicota indica

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Bengaluru

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

18 Verified sightings at Bengaluru
December Best month

About the Greater Bandicoot-rat

The greater bandicoot rat or Indian bandicoot rat (Bandicota indica) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Bangladesh, China, India, eastern Pakistan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It can grow to about 30–45 cm without including the tail which can grow to 28 cm. These should not be confused with marsupial bandicoots which inhabit Australia and neighbouring New Guinea, which were named after the bandicota rats.

The greater bandicoot rat has a dark gray-brown upper parts with a profusion of long, black hairs. Sides are gray with a few long, black hairs. Short, light gray fur occurs on the ventral surfaces. It has a dark and naked, scaly tail, and dark feet with light-colored claws. The young are much lighter in colour.

In Sinhala, the bandicoot rat is known as maha uru-meeya - මහ ඌරු මීයා, and in Malayalam, it is known as panni-eli - പന്നിയെലി, thorappan തോരപ്പൻ. Both names directly translate to "pig-rat". These are one of several animals called chuchundra in the Nepali language.

A female has between 8 and 10 litters during her life. The young (8–14 rat pups per litter) are born... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bengaluru 🇮🇳 India
~10%
2 Mumbai 🇮🇳 India
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Greater Bandicoot-rat in Bengaluru?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Bandicoot-rat sighting in Bengaluru on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 10 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Greater Bandicoot-rat in Bengaluru?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Bandicoot-rat in Bengaluru on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Bengaluru the best place to see a Greater Bandicoot-rat?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Greater Bandicoot-rat sightings, Bengaluru has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Mumbai (India, about 10%).

Where does the Greater Bandicoot-rat sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Greater Bandicoot-rat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Bengaluru (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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