Mus platythrix
Species of rodent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mus platythrix, the flat-haired mouse or Indian brown spiny mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in India, where it is widely distributed throughout South India and central India.
| Mus platythrix | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mouse picking stones | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Mus |
| Subgenus: | Pyromys |
| Species: | M. platythrix |
| Binomial name | |
| Mus platythrix Bennett, 1832 | |
Behavior
The 'kall-eli (Tamil: கல் எலி, lit. "stone rat"), a local name in southern India, has been noted for arranging pebbles around its burrow entrances. This behavior may help deter predators and stabilize the burrow's microclimate, with some chambers lined with stones that appear to serve as bedding.