Crested_rat Crested_rat

Crested rat - Definition and Overview

Maned Rat
Conservation status: Unknown
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Rodentia
Superfamily:Muroidea
Family:Muridae
Subfamily:Lophiomyinae
Genus:Lophiomys
Species:imhausi

The maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi, also called crested rat) is a long-haired and bushy-tailed East African rodent that resembles a porcupine. It is named for its mane of long, coarse, black-and-white-banded hairs that begins at the top of the head and extends beyond the base of the tail.

The maned rat's body can grow up to 14 inches long, or 21 inches from head to tail. The rat is particularly skilled at climbing trees, although it chooses to nest in burrows or rock formations on the ground.

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