rice rat

noun

1. any rat of the genus Oryzomys, having an exceptionally long tail, especially O. palustris, inhabiting rice fields and marshes of the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rice rat¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Studying the Galapagos Islands, Darwin saw only a few tortoises, iguanas, snakes, and one small mammal, the rice rat.

From Singularity Hub 

The Florida rice-rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is another well-known representative of the group.

From Project Gutenberg