Throughout Japan, China, Siam, and the Malay countries, normal long-tailed cats are indeed seldom seen.
Long-tailed, terrestrial and arboreal forms. The tree-snakes are mostly green above with the under parts white or yellow.
Of these, Hypogeomys is a large, long-tailed, fawn-coloured rat, with large ears and feet; Nesomys is a red species, with long hair; Brachytarsomys is shortfooted and long-tailed, with velvety fawn fur; HallQmys has elongated hind feet, as has also Macrotarsomys; Gymnuromys is naked-tailed; and the several species of Eliurus are dormouselike.
This long-tailed rat, originally a native of India, would seem to have first penetrated to all parts of the world and to have nearly or quite exterminated the indigenous rats.
The smallest species, commonly known in English as the long-tailed or Buffon's generally likened to the marlinespike that is identified with the boatswain's position; but perhaps the authoritative character assumed by both bird and officer originally suggested the name.