Nesokia indica
short-tailed bandicoot rat

The Bandicoot rat covers a wide range from Egypt to Sinkiang and northern India. (Nowak 1991)

The bandicoot rat lives mainly in moist areas or along streams and canals. It is found in deserts, steppes, cultivated areas, and forests. The elevational range is from about 26 meters below to about 1,500 meters above sea level. (Nowak 1991) The bandicoot rat prefers to live in areas with soft soil and good vegetation coverage. When the soil becomes dry, N. indica migrates away to softer soil. (Prakash 1992)

The head and body of N. indica measures 140-215 mm and its tail length is 88-129 mm. Its robust form characterizes this rat. The head is short and rounded and the muzzle is short and broad. The pest rat has eight mammae. (Pingale 1967; Nowak 1991) The pelage of the bandicoot rat varies from coarse, short, harsh, and semispinous to long, fine and silky. The consistency of the coat has been found to be both dense and thin. The dull brown or grayish brown on the back gradually merges with the light grayish underparts. (Pingale 1967; Nowak 1991)

The feet and tail are scantily haired. The feet are also broad and the ears are rounded. The hand has four functional fingers and the foot has five toes. All the claws except the rudimentary thumb have strong, nearly straight nails. (Nowak 1991; Pingale 1967))

The palatal foramina are very shortened. The incisors of N. indica are proodont and are stout and broad. (Nowak 1991; Prakash 1992)

Not much is known about the reproduction biology of the pest rat. In captivity, breeding occurs throughout the year. However, in Punjab, it has been reported that litters are produced in the winter. Litter size usually varies from two to seven. (Prakash 1992) It has been suggested that the gestation period is about seventeen days. (Nowak 1991)

The pest rat is nocturnal and fossorial. They make extensive burrows with several chambers. The burrows are about 9-56 cm deep. At each of the openings, there are mounds of excavated soil. The patterns of these burrows vary, but most zigzag and have many openings, although some are simple with one or two openings. The tunnels are roughly circular in diameter (3.5-11.5 cm) and range in length from 17- 3443 cm. They close their exit holes with soil for about 15-60 cm. (Prakash 1992) These rats are inactive during the winter. (Prakash 1992)

A single rat occupies each burrow. (Nowak 1991)

The pest rat feeds on leaves and roots of lawn grass. However, N. indica also consumes crops such as barley, wheat, potato, ground nut, sugar cane, mustard, brinjal, and watermelon. (Prakash 1992) This rat sometimes stores food in its burrow. (Nowak 1991)

Native people use the bandicoot rat and the food stored in its burrows as food. (Nowak 1991)

The tunneling of the bandicoot rat damages irrigation walls. Also, raiding of fields by N. indica does considerable damage to vegetable, fruit and grain crops. (Nowak 1991)

This rat is the only species in the genus Nesokia. (Nowak 1991) External, cranial, genetic, and dental morphology suggests a close phylogenic relationship to Bandicota indica. (Wilson 1993)