Wildlifeof Thailand
Greater Bandicoot Rat
Muridae
Photo: sunnyjosef · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Bandicota indica
Basic stats
Range
South, East and Southeast Asia
Size
Head and body 30–45cm; tail up to 28cm
The greater bandicoot rat, or Indian bandicoot rat, is a large true rat rather than an Australian marsupial bandicoot. It has dark grey-brown upperparts mixed with numerous long black hairs. Head-and-body length reaches 30–45 cm and the tail can reach 28 cm. The species belongs to the murid genus Bandicota (Wikipedia, general species account; NCBI Taxonomy).
Its broad Asian range includes Bangladesh, China, India, eastern Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, extending through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. The common name ultimately comes from a South Asian word applied to these rats and was later transferred to the unrelated marsupials (Wikipedia, general species and genus accounts). It is Nationally Least Concern (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- Where is the Greater Bandicoot Rat found?
- South, East and Southeast Asia
- How big is the Greater Bandicoot Rat?
- Head and body 30–45cm; tail up to 28cm