short-tailed bandicoot rat

The term "bandicoot rat" refers to any of five species of Asian rodents closely associated with human populations. The largest is the greater bandicoot rat (Bandicota indica), which can weigh up to 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and has a shaggy, blackish-brown body. Other species include the lesser bandicoot rat (B. bengalensis) and Savile's bandicoot rat (B. savilei), which are smaller and brownish-gray. These terrestrial rodents are nocturnal and construct burrows, feeding on grains, fruit, and invertebrates, often causing damage to crops.

The short-tailed bandicoot rat (Nesokia indica) is similar in size to the lesser bandicoot rat, with soft brown fur and a short tail. Its range extends across Central Asia to northeastern Egypt. These rats inhabit cultivated fields and grasslands, excavating extensive tunnels and damaging grain crops. It is important to distinguish these rodents from bandicoots, which are Australasian marsupials.12