rice rat
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noun
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.
Origin of rice rat
First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rice rat
Historical Examples of rice rat
The Florida rice-rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is another well-known representative of the group.