Sloggett's vlei rat or ice rat (''Myotomys sloggetti'') 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 n ...
in the family Muridae.
It is found in southern Lesotho and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
where its natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s are subtropical or tropical high-altitude
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
, swamps, and rocky areas. Its name commemorates Col. Arthur Sloggett who served in South Africa and collected at Deelfontein in 1902. This is a common species and the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...
has rated it as being of "
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
".
Description
This is a medium-sized rat with thick, soft, fine fur. The head is large and the snout blunt. The area of skin surrounding the whiskers is reddish brown, a characteristic that distinguishes this species from other members of the genus ''
Otomys
African vlei rats (''Otomys''), also known as groove-toothed rats, live in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Most species live in marshlands, grasslands, and similar habitats and feed on the vegetation of such areas, occasionally supplementing ...
''. The ears are small with dark edges. The upper parts are greyish buff and the flanks greyish brown. The underparts are buffy white. The tail is short, being about half the length of the head and body. It is bicoloured, being black above and buff below.
Distribution and habitat
Sloggett's vlei rat is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to southern Africa where it occurs in southern Lesotho, the Eastern Cape as well as the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It inhabits rocky habitats and alpine grassland, both wet and dry, at altitudes of more than , and usually above .
Ecology
In suitable habitats this rodent is common; densities of over 100 animals per hectare have been observed. They live in burrows, emerging during the day to forage and sun themselves on the rocks. The diet consists of the leaves, flowers and stems of green plants. In summer, the food is eaten where it is found but in winter it is mostly taken back to the burrow for consumption. Some food is also stored in the burrow, which has a complex system of tunnels and chambers and is usually occupied by a pair or a family group, of which only one female will breed. Although territorial outside the burrow, the animals will huddle together inside for warmth. They are active throughout the year but spend more time underground in winter.
There may be up to a dozen entrances to the burrow, and faeces are deposited beside these. Breeding takes place in late summer, the litter size averaging 2.5 young and the gestation period being about 38 days. The young have several adaptations to the extreme cold in winter: their body, ears, limbs and tail are short compared to those of the