Arvicanthis niloticus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The African grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) is a species of rodent in the family Murinae. The species is divided into the following six subspecies. A. n. niloticus: Nile, Egypt; Arvicanthis niloticus is a rodent of medium size, with the length of the head and of the body between 159 and 202 mm, the length of the tail between 125 and 173 mm, the length of the foot between 33 and 42 mm, the length of the ears between 19 and 23 mm and a weight up to 201 g.
The fur is rough. The upper parts of individual hairs are yellowish with blackish tips. Long yellow or orange hairs are present on the bottom. A dorsal dark stripe more or less distinct extends from the head to the base of the tail. The ventral parts are whitish, with the base of the hairs blackish... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Grass Rat sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 37 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June and November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Grass Rat in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month. Those are among Ngorongoro Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Grass Rat sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate African Grass Rat sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Grass Rat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (25 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
