Wildlifeof Thailand
Hoary Bamboo Rat
Spalacidae
Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans · Public domain
Rhizomys pruinosus
Basic stats
Diet
Bamboo roots, rhizomes and other plant material
Habitat
Bamboo thickets, forest and cultivated land
Range
North-eastern India through southern China and mainland Southeast Asia
The hoary bamboo rat is a stout fossorial rodent with grey-brown to dull orange-brown fur, rounded ears barely projecting from the coat, large incisors and a short naked tail. Granular pads on its feet distinguish Rhizomys from the lesser bamboo rat (regional mammal guide; bamboo-rat taxonomy).
It ranges from north-eastern India through southern China and mainland Southeast Asia to the Malay Peninsula. Underground tunnel systems occur in bamboo thickets, forest and cultivated ground. Bamboo roots and rhizomes dominate the diet, and feeding can bring the animal into conflict with growers (regional mammal accounts). It is Nationally Near Threatened (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Hoary Bamboo Rat eat?
- Bamboo roots, rhizomes and other plant material
- What habitat does the Hoary Bamboo Rat live in?
- Bamboo thickets, forest and cultivated land
- Where is the Hoary Bamboo Rat found?
- North-eastern India through southern China and mainland Southeast Asia