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The rat – and other fynbos rodents
Writer: Dr Anina Lee.
On 25 January billions of people will enter the Chinese Year of the Rat. I really have no idea what that portends, but it gives me the opportunity to write about my favourite fynbos rat– the Vlei Rat.
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The Common Vlei Rat (Otomys irroratus) PHOTO: iNaturalist.org
Cape Spiny Mouse.
The Common Vlei Rat (Otomys irroratus) has shaggy hair, a short tail and grows to the size of a small cat. They are so named because they hang out in ‘vleis’ (marshes), streams and swamps. They feed on grass, reeds and other vegetation by biting through the stem near the base and then, holding each end of the stem with a paw, eat short pieces in the middle.
Hairy-Footed Gerbil PHOTO: iNaturalist.org
Four Striped Mouse.
Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 8)
