Bush vlei rat
The bush vlei rat or Karoo bush rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland. The Karoo rat uses behavioral adaptations to cope with the dry arid climate. It is a medium-sized rodent with a dark pelage on top and lighter underneath. It has light colored feet and a dark tail. The rat may have light colored fur around its eyes and the back of its ears.
Environment
The Karoo bush rat can be found in the semi-deserts of South Africa. These deserts have extreme temperature fluctuations ranging from below in the winter to over in the summer. The Karoo bush rat unlike most rodents creates a refuge made of interwoven sticks and is sited on the surface. These stick lodges are found in the shrubs of the desert. They can be over tall and there is only one lodge per bush/shrub. These stick lodges offer protection against the extreme climates, predators, and also a physiological refuge. The temperature variation in the nests are significantly less than the surrounding ambient temperatures with the temperature in the winter being about higher inside the nest than outside and lower during the summer than the outside temperatures.In the West [Coast National Park#Postberg|Postberg Nature Reserve] in coastal Western Cape Province, the rat uses the plant stems of the native bush shrub Exomis to make its lodges.