CreatureData

Giant root-rat

Tachyoryctes macrocephalus (Rüppell, 1842)

ENEndangeredrodents

The giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) is a species in the family Spalacidae, order Rodentia. Recorded adults weigh 597 g to 621.9 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Endangered.

Giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus)
Photo: JanWiki2020 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the giant root-rat

Weight
597 g – 621.9 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Herbivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Young per litter or clutch
1src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the giant root-rat live?

Not recorded

What is the giant root-rat?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), also known as the Ethiopian African mole rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Tachyoryctes. The species is endemic to Ethiopia's Bale Mountains, and its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, where the population can reach densities of up to 2,600 individuals per square kilometre. The giant root-rat has thick fur and large teeth, and creates large networks of tunnels whilst foraging for food before making holes to the surface to feed on nearby vegetation. There are many species that prey on Tachyoryctes macrocephalus, especially the Ethiopian wolf, and it is threatened by habitat loss.

From the Wikipedia article “Giant root-rat” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giant_root-rat&oldid=1384587169), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the giant root-rat endangered?

The giant root-rat is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Endangered species. What the categories mean.

How is the giant root-rat classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderRodentia
  5. familySpalacidae
  6. genusTachyoryctes
  7. SpeciesTachyoryctes macrocephalus (Rüppell, 1842)

Synonyms Rhizomys macrocephalus

Other names and names in other languages (20)
  • Big-headed mole ratEnglish
  • Big-headed mole ratEnglish
  • Big-headed mole ratEnglish
  • Big-headed mole-ratEnglish
  • Big-headed root ratEnglish
  • Ethiopian African mole ratEnglish
  • Ethiopian MoleratEnglish
  • Giant mole ratEnglish
  • Giant mole ratEnglish
  • Giant root ratEnglish
  • hlodoun velkýCzech
  • RiesenmaulwurfsratteGerman
  • Afrikanische RiesenmaulwurfsratteGerman
  • isomyllikäsFinnish
  • Rat-taupe à grosse têteFrench
  • エチオピアオオタケネズミJapanese
  • KjemperotrotteNorwegian Bokmål
  • ReuzenmolratDutch
  • afroślepiec wielkogłowyPolish
  • Эфиопская бамбуковая крысаRussian

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the giant root-rat

Other species in the same genus Tachyoryctes.

CompareGiant root-rat vs Northeast African mole-ratGiant root-rat vs Aberdare Mountains African mole-ratGiant root-rat vs Demon African mole-ratGiant root-rat vs Navivasha African mole-rat

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the giant root-rat?

An adult giant root-rat weighs 597 g – 621.9 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the giant root-rat endangered?

The giant root-rat is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

What kind of animal is the giant root-rat?

The giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) belongs to the family Spalacidae in the order Rodentia.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-root-rat

MLA

“Giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-root-rat.

BibTeX
@misc{giant_root_rat_2026,
  title = {Giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-root-rat},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}