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

163
122) Cannomys badius (Hodgson, 1841)
Common Names
Bay Bamboo Rat, Lesser Bamboo Rat (English);
Sano Tame Bansmuso (Nepali)
Synonyms
Rhizomys badius (Hodgson, 1841)
Species Description
Rufous body, blunt face and a short tail. Has dense,
soft fur that hangs like a cloak over body. Small eyes
and ears.
Species Ecology
The Bay Bamboo Rat occurs in montane temperate
forests and subtropical bamboo forests. The Bay
Bamboo Rat feeds mainly on young roots and
shoots of bamboo. This species reaches sexual
maturity at approximately one year and after a
gestation period of 40 to 43 days, produces litters
of four to five young.
Conservation Status
Global: Least Concern
National: Data Deficient
Rationale for assessment: There is insufficient
information available to make an accurate
assessment of the extinction risk of this species in
Nepal.
Legal Status
National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029
(1973). This species occurs within protected areas.
123) Cricetulus alticola (Thomas, 1917)
Common Names
Ladakh Hamster, Tibetan Dwarf Hamster (English);
Bhyatle Bhotemuso (Nepali)
Synonyms
Cricetulus alticola tibetanus (Thomas and Hinton,
1922)
National Distribution
This species is distributed across eastern and central
Nepal and within the protected areas of Chitwan
National Park and Makalu Barun National Park. It
may also be present in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
and Sagarmatha National Park however these sites
need further verification.
Distribution outside Nepal
Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet
Nam.
Main Threats
• Habitat loss due to slash and burn cultivation,
forest fires.
• Hunting for subsistence.
References
Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Molur et al. 2005, Baral and Shah 2008, Smith and Xie 2008.