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Rattus tiomanicus
Basic stats
Diet
Fruit, seeds, oil palm fruit
Habitat
Forest edge, plantations, secondary growth
Range
Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
Litter size
3–6 young (typical for Rattus)
Gestation period
About 21–23 days (typical for Rattus)
Size
Medium (head-body 15–20cm)
Weight
100–180g
A forest-edge and secondary-growth rat that has become notorious as one of the most significant vertebrate pests of Southeast Asian oil palm plantations, where it feeds heavily on ripening fruit.
Nocturnal and arboreal to semi-arboreal, thriving in disturbed and plantation habitat far more than in intact primary forest. Population control in oil palm estates is a major applied focus of research on this species.
