Oldfield white-bellied rat


The Oldfield white-bellied rat or soft-furred Taiwan niviventer is a species of phat rat in the family Muridae. It is found only in Taiwan. It has also been considered a subspecies of Niviventer niviventer and included in Niviventer confucianus.

Description

Niviventer culturatus are long, not including a tail. They are dorsally dark grayish brown and ventrally creamy white; there is a sharp border between the dorsal and ventral coloration. The tail is similarly bicolored except for the terminal portion that is entirely white. The face is rather grayish but has dark patches just in front of and behind the eyes. The digits are white.

Habitat

This species occurs in primary hemlock forests, and sometimes in secondary habitats, typically at elevations of above sea level. It can be locally common and is found in the Yushan National Park.