The Asiatic long-tailed climbing mouse (''Vandeleuria oleracea'') is a species of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
found in
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
.
It is known as ගස් මීයා by Sinhalese people.
It is known to spread the ''
Ixodes
''Ixodes'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks (family Ixodidae). It includes important disease vectors of animals and humans (tick-borne disease), and some species (notably ''Ixodes holocyclus'') inject toxins that can cause paralysis. Some ti ...
'' tick-borne viral
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD).
Description
Head and body length is 7–9 cm. Tail is 10–12 cm. Reddish brown upperparts grading on the sides to light yellowish brown. Underparts are light brownish white. Long tail is dark, and slender with no tuft at tip. Largish hind feet with nails instead of claws on the outer toes, which are opposable.
References
Further reading
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Vandeleuria
Rats of Asia
Mammals of Southeast Asia
Mammals of Nepal
Rodents of India
Mammals of Sri Lanka
Mammals of Bangladesh
Mammals described in 1832
{{Murinae-stub