rice rat
- 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.
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Origin of rice rat
First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for rice rat
Historical Examples
The Florida rice-rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is another well-known representative of the group.