Lamellar rat

Body length is from 14 to 22 cm, tail length is 9–13 cm. Body weight is 110–175 g. The color of the coat is brown on the upper part of the body, light on the lower part, sometimes with a white spot on the throat. It has long, thick and soft fur in the winter, but short, sparse bristles in the summer. The head is short and round, the muzzle is wide, the ears are rounded. The relatively short tail is hairless. The paws are wide, the front has four functional fingers, the back - five fingers with strong, almost straight claws.

The species is common in North Africa (Egypt), the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and China. It occurs at an altitude of 0 to 1600 m above sea level. Leads night and terrestrial lifestyle. Lives in tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forests, among shrubs, meadows, arable lands, pastures, plantations.

The animal creates a large number of holes and tunnels. Depth can be up to 60 cm, length up to 9 m, area up to 120 sq. m. One chamber is lined with vegetation for nesting. The gestation period is probably about 17 days. It can give three offspring a year, from 3 to 5 cubs each. It feeds on herbs, grains, root vegetables and cultivated fruits and vegetables. It has many natural enemies, including jackals, foxes, reed cats, ferrets, weasels, snakes and domestic cats and dogs.

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
• Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Hrsg.): Mammal Species of the World . 3. Ausgabe. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .