The Afroalpine vlei rat is a small rodent that lives in high-mountain meadows of East Africa. This animal is adapted to the cold climate at altitudes from three thousand meters above sea level.
The Afroalpine vlei rat differs from other rodents by its thick fur and short tail, which help it survive in cold mountains. It is important for nature because it serves as food for birds and snakes and affects plant growth.
Worker
Tail size
birth time
breeding
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
summer mild, +15…+20 °C
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
very cold, short summer, almost no trees, lots of moss
days
Warm summer
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
adult
Maturity
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Repro interval
results
summer warm, winter not very cold
Colors
Cool summer
Sex
protection from cold
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
Teeth color
Uses an excavated underground tunnel or chamber for refuge or nesting.
Trophic type
Filters
Tail count
young shoots and sprouts
grass
Upcoming birthdays
eggs, roe or offspring develop in a nest built on the ground or close to it
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
leaf
in a burrow
Height
nest on the ground
rains almost always, very humid
young are born live on land, not hatched from eggs or roe
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
plant stems
Wanderers
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Ears size
Tundra
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
roots
Lifespan average
nest located directly on the ground surface on land, only the mother provides parental care for the offspring
in a terrestrial nest
grasses
live birth
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
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Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
nest hidden in an underground burrow
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
65 to 130 grams, 25 – 60 centimeters
Pets
Lots of rain and cool summer
Feeding occurs primarily on land or in vegetation.
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
turns
Rascals
Tail color
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Teeth size
Ears count
Litter size
Tropical savanna
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
grazing
°C
Not specified
Fur temp
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Where are they found?
herbivore
lots of rain, cool summer, snow in winter
Feeds by cropping or nibbling low-growing vegetation or algae.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Elders
leaves and stems of grasses and other herbaceous vegetation
Bro
Taxons
if born as {name}
Foraging takes place among trees and woody vegetation.
age
birth date
soil
rest
Fur color
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
climbing
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
teeth
burrow
Potential Habitat
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
terrestrial
Plants
Gestation
land
{name} birthday
Food is gathered directly from leaf surfaces.
grass
Always hot
No results found
On the map
young shoots, sprouts, green plant shoots
Pleasant summer
all life stages
Female ♀
world of Afrotropics
nest located directly on the ground surface on land
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
sedges
birth year
Shelter used specifically for reproduction or nesting.
Maturity
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
baby / chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Moving up vertical surfaces like trunks or rocks to reach food.
from birth to adulthood
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
caring mother
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
mountains
Ears color
Hard dental structures used to bite, tear, or scrape food.
world of Afrotropics
Duration
This is me
gnaws on plants on trees
Always very wet
Gamers
Teeth count
How are they built?
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
sedge, reed and other coastal herbaceous plants
terrestrial
Asexual
swap
roots and plant tubers
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
inhabit and develop on land, outside water bodies
sedge and reeds
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
very hot all year round, frequent rains, but sometimes dry
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
foraging
Hermaphrodite ⚥
embryo
Carrot
Denotes a mountainous habitat preference.
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
arboreal
Observations
◉{N} more on tap