Giant Bandicoot-Rat

The giant bandicoot-rat, Bandicota maxima, was named by Pradhan and colleagues in 1993 after they first called it B. gigantea and found the type skull broken. It was split from the greater bandicoot rat on large size, the pattern of the back hairs and some skull proportions, and the validity of the split has been questioned (Records of the Zoological Survey of India 2005 and related accounts).

The greater bandicoot rat, B. indica, is about 30 to 45cm long excluding a tail of up to 28cm, dark grey-brown with long black hairs on the back, pale underparts and a scaly, hairless tail; it lives in and around dwellings and gardens, eats household waste, grain and vegetables, and is aggressive when disturbed. Its range includes Nepal. No Nepal record specific to B. maxima was found (Wikipedia, general species account).