The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

References
Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Molur et al. 2005, Baral and Shah 2008, Smith and Xie 2008.
98) Millardia meltada (Gray, 1837)
Common Names
Soft-furred Field Rat (English); Makhmali Muso
(Nepali)
Synonyms
Golunda meltada, Rattus meltada ssp. meltada
(Gray, 1837); Mus lanuginosus (Elliot, 1839); Mus
comberi, Mus listoni (Wroughton, 1907); Millardia
meltada ssp. pallidor, Rattus meltada ssp. pallidor
(Ryley, 1914); Millardia meltada ssp. dunni (Thomas,
1917)
Species Description
Soft pale grey grizzled fur. Throat, undersides and
feet pale grey. Tail dark grey on top and white below
with annular rings. Tail is equal to or shorter than the
head and body. Rounded ears and eyes. Has four or
five pads on the feet instead of the usual six of other
rat species.
Species Ecology
The Soft-furred Field Rat occurs in cultivated
fields, heavy scrubs surrounded by forests, tropical
and subtropical dry deciduous forests, tropical
grasslands, irrigated croplands and grasslands with
gravel, water courses, embankments and dry rocky
hills, often using rocks and fallen walls to shelter.
It burrows holes at the roots of bushes or hedges,
favouring prickly pear hedges. The diet of this
species consists of wheat, sugarcane, sorghum,
clover and goosefoots.
This species has an average litter size of six young.
Conservation Status
Global: Least Concern
National: Least Concern
Rationale for assessment: This species is considered
Least Concern in view of its common occurrence in
lowland Sal forests especially in Bardia National Park.
Legal Status
National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029
(1973). This species occurs within protected areas.
National Population Size
There is no information available on the population
size of this species in Nepal.
National Distribution
This species has been recorded from Annapurna
Conservation Area, Bardia National Park and district
of Bara.
Distribution outside Nepal
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Main Threats
• Habitat loss and degradation.
• Hunting for subsistence.
• Persecution as a pest species.
References
Beg et al. 1994, Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Lathiya et al. 2003, Molur et al. 2005, Baral and Shah 2008.
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