Description
Tachyoryctes rex is a very large species with fluffy fur. It is reddish-brown above and lighter brown below. The tip of the snout and the throat are black, and an area around the mouth is white. The feet are brown, but the toes are white. The tail is dark above and off-white below. Males are larger than females. Young animals are dark-furred, with some irregular white areas on their underparts. In young animals, the crown area of the molars is small, but it grows with wear in adulthood until reaching a maximum, after which it shrinks again. The iris is dark gray-brown. In 14 specimens, head and body length is 222 to 268 mm (8.7 to 10.6 in), tail length is 54 to 80 mm (2.1 to 3.1 in), hindfoot length is 29 to 33 mm (1.1 to 1.3 in), and skull (condylobasal) length is 47 to 57 mm (1.9 to 2.2 in).
In comparison to those of T. audax, the nasal bones are larger and have angles at the sides. T. annectens, which is nearly as large, has smaller teeth and nasals; in T. rex, the basioccipital is broader, and the back part of the mandible (lower jaw) is better developed and has the capsule of the incisor placed further to the front.
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