Otomys

Most species live in marshlands, grasslands, and similar habitats[2] and feed on the vegetation of such areas, occasionally supplementing it with roots and seeds.The name "vlei" refers to the South African term for intermittent, seasonal, or perennial bodies of standing water.Otomys are compact rodents with a tendency to shorter faces and legs than other types of rats.Species living in warm or temperate regions tend to have unusually large ears for murids (e.g. Otomys irroratus), whereas some of the alpine species, such as Otomys sloggetti have markedly smaller ears.Depending on the species adult Otomys have a body length between 12 and 22 cm (5–9 inches) and weigh 90 to 260 grams (3–9 oz).
OtomiesPlioceneScientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataMammaliaRodentiaMuridaeOtomyiniF. CuvierType speciesEuryotis irrorataSpeciesSynonymssub-Saharan AfricamarshlandsgrasslandsOtomys sloggettiAngolan vlei ratAngoni vlei ratBarbour's vlei ratBurton's vlei ratCheesman's vlei ratCuanza vlei ratRuwenzori vlei ratDent's vlei ratDollman's vlei ratCharada vlei ratHeller's vlei ratSouthern African vlei ratMount Elgon vlei ratTanzanian vlei ratLaminate vlei ratLarge vlei ratWestern vlei ratAfroalpine vlei ratSaunder's vlei ratSimien vlei ratThomas's vlei ratTropical vlei ratEthiopian vlei ratUzungwe vlei ratYalden's vlei ratMount Kilimanjaro vlei ratWikispeciesWilson, D. E.Johns Hopkins University PressMurinaeChordateEuarchontogliresMyotomysSloggett's vlei rat (M. sloggetti)Bush vlei rat (M. unisulcatus)Angolan vlei rat (O. anchietae)Angoni vlei rat (O. angoniensis)Barbour's vlei rat (O. barbouri)Burton's vlei rat (O. burtoni)Cheesman's vlei rat (O. cheesmani)Cuanza vlei rat (O. cuanzensis)Ruwenzori vlei rat (O. dartmouthi)Dent's vlei rat (O. denti)Dollman's vlei rat (O. dollmani)Charada vlei rat (O. fortior)Heller's vlei rat (O. helleri)Southern African vlei rat (O. irroratus)Mount Elgon vlei rat (O. jacksoni)Tanzanian vlei rat (O. lacustris)Laminate vlei rat (O. laminatus)Large vlei rat (O. maximus)Western vlei rat (O. occidentalis)Afroalpine vlei rat (O. orestes)Saunder's vlei rat (O. saundersiae)Simien vlei rat (O. simiensis)Thomas's vlei rat (O. thomasi)Tropical vlei rat (O. tropicalis)Typical vlei rat (O. typus)Uzungwe vlei rat (O. uzungwensis)Yalden's vlei rat (O. yaldeni)Mount Kilimanjaro vlei rat (O. zinki)ParotomysBrants's whistling rat (P. brantsii)Littledale's whistling rat (P. littledalei)MyomorphaAnomalomyidaeDipodoideaDipodidaeAllactaginaeAllactagaAllactodipusPygeretmusScarturusCardiocraniinaeCardiocraniusSalpingotulusSalpingotusDipodinaeEremodipusJaculusStylodipusParadipodiniParadipusEuchoreutinaeEuchoreutesSimimyidaeSminthidaeSicistaZapodidaeEozapusNapaeozapusMuroideaArmintomyidaeArmintomysPlatacanthomyidaePlatacanthomysTyphlomysSpalacidaeMyospalacinaeEospalaxMyospalaxRhizomyinaeBrachyrhizomysCannomysRhizomysTachyoryctesSpalacinaeNannospalaxSpalaxEumuroidaCalomyscidaeCalomyscusCricetidaeArvicolinaeArvicoliniArvicolaMimomysClethrionomyiniAlticolaCaryomysClethrionomysCraseomysEothenomysDicrostonychiniDicrostonyxPredicrostonyxEllobiusiniBramusEllobiusLaguriniEolagurusLagurusLemminiLemmusMyopusSynaptomysMicrotiniAlexandromysChionomysHyperacriusLasiopodomysLemmiscusMicrotusMictomicrotusNeodonProedromysStenocraniusVolemysOndatriniNeofiberOndatraPliophenacomyiniArborimusPhenacomysPliomyiniDinaromysPliomysCricetinaeAllocricetulusCansumysCricetulodonCricetulusCricetusMesocricetusNothocricetulusPhodopusTscherskiaUrocricetusDemocricetodontinaeKarydomysNeotominaeBaiomyiniBaiomysScotinomysNeotominiHodomysNelsoniaNeotomaXenomysOchrotomyiniOchrotomysReithrodontomyiniHabromysIsthmomysMegadontomysNeotomodonOnychomysOsgoodomysPeromyscusPodomysReithrodontomysSigmodontinaeJuliomysMegaoryzomysAbrotrichiniAbrothrixGeoxusNotiomysAkodontiniAkodonBibimysBlarinomysBrucepattersoniusDeltamysJuscelinomysKunsiaLenoxusNecromysNeomicroxusOxymycterusPodoxymysScapteromysThalpomysThaptomysAegialomysAmphinectomysCerradomysDrymoreomysEremoryzomysEuryoryzomysHandleyomysHolochilusHylaeamysLundomysMegalomysMelanomysMicroakodontomysMicroryzomysMindomysNeacomysNectomysNephelomysNesoryzomysNoronhomysOecomysOligoryzomysOreoryzomysOryzomysPseudoryzomysScolomysSigmodontomysSooretamysTanyuromysTransandinomysZygodontomysPhyllotiniAndalgalomysAndinomysAuliscomysCalassomysCalomysChinchillulaEligmodontiaEuneomysGalenomysGraomysIrenomysLoxodontomysNeotomysPhyllotisPunomysReithrodonSalinomysTapecomysThomasomyiniAbrawayaomysAepeomysChilomysDelomysPhaenomysRhagomysRhipidomysThomasomysWilfredomysWiedomyiniWiedomysIchthyomyiniAnotomysChibchanomysIchthyomysNeusticomysRheomysSigmodontiniSigmodonTylomyinaeNyctomyiniNyctomysOtotylomysTylomyiniOtonyctomysTylomysDeomyinaeAcomysDeomysLophuromysUranomysGerbillinaeAmmodillusDesmodillisciniDesmodilliscusPachyuromysGerbilliniBrachionesDipodillusGerbillusMerionesMicrodillusPsammomysRhombomysSekeetamysDesmodillusGerbilliscusGerbillurusTateraTaterillusLeimacomyinaeLeimacomysLophiomyinaeLophiomysCoryphomysHadromysSpelaeomysVernayaApodeminiApodemusRhagamysTokudaiaArvicanthiniAethomysArvicanthisCanariomysDasymysDephomysDesmomysGolundaGrammomysHybomysLamottemysLemniscomysMalpaisomysMicaelamysMylomysOenomysPelomysRhabdomysStochomysThallomysThamnomysHapalomyiniHapalomysHydromyiniAnisomysApomysArchboldomysBaiyankamysBrassomysChiropodomysChiruromysChrotomysCoccymysConilurusCrossomysHaeromysHydromysHyomysLeggadinaLeporillusLeptomysLorentzimysMacruromysMallomysMastacomysMelomysMesembriomysMicrohydromysMirzamysNotomysParahydromysParaleptomysParamelomysPogonomysProtochromysPseudohydromysPseudomysRhynchomysSolomysSoricomysUromysXeromysZyzomysMalacomyiniMalacomysMillardiniCremnomysDiomysMadromysMillardiaPithecheirPithecheiropsMuriniPhloeomyiniBatomysCarpomysCrateromysMusseromysPhloeomysPraomyiniChingawaemysColomysCongomysHeimyscusHylomyscusMastomysMontemysMyomyscusNilopegamysOchromyscusPraomysSerengetimysStenocephalemysZelotomysRattiniAbditomysAnonymomysBandicotaBerylmysBullimusBunomysChiromyscusCrunomysDacnomysDiplothrixEchiothrixEropeplusHalmaheramysHyorhinomysKadarsanomysKomodomysLenomysLenothrixLeopoldamysLimnomysMargaretamysMaxomysMelasmothrixMicromysNesokiaNesoromysNiviventerPapagomysPalawanomysParuromysPaucidentomysPaulamysRattusSaxatilomysSommeromysSrilankamysSundamysTaeromysTarsomysTateomysTonkinomysTryphomysWaiomysVandeleuriniVandeleuriaPseudocricetodontinaeNesomyidaeCricetomyinaeBeamysCricetomysSaccostomusDelanymyinaeDelanymysDendromurinaeDendromusDendroprionomysMalacothrixMegadendromusPrionomysSteatomysMystromyinaeMystromysNesomyinaeBrachytarsomysBrachyuromysEliurusGymnuromysHypogeomysMacrotarsomysMonticolomysNesomysVoalavoPetromyscinaePetromyscusWikidataiNaturalistOpen 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