African giant pouched rat
African giant pouched rats (genus Cricetomys) are large rats of Africa south of the Sahara, named for their large cheek pouches.[1] They belong to the family Nesomyidae. Four species are recognised, among them the Gambian pouched rat (C. gambianus) and C. emini, but scientists are still revising their classification.[1]
Description
Giant pouched rats are about 32–35 cm long without the tail, and the tail is about as long as the body again. The tail is two-coloured, with a white end half, and the ears are large.[1] The cheek pouches can stretch a great deal, so the rats can carry large amounts of food.[1][2]
Habitat and behaviour
They live in forests up to 2000 m, in savannas, and also on farms and in rice fields.[1][2] They are active at night and mostly live on the ground, though they can climb. They dig burrows or use termite mounds, and store food that they carry in their pouches.[1] They eat palm nuts, seeds, fruit, snails and insects.[1][3]
Breeding and predators
A litter has one to five young.[1] A female Gambian pouched rat can have up to five litters in nine months, with about four young in each.[3] Pouched rats are hunted by owls, eagles, mongooses, genets, civets and wild cats. People also catch them and sell them as bushmeat.[1]
In Florida
The Gambian pouched rat, also called the Gambian giant pouched rat, is native to Africa from Senegal to Sudan and South Africa.[3][4] Animals released by a breeder in 1999 started a wild population on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys, which was discovered in 2004.[4][3] Florida treats it as a prohibited species because it could harm crops and wildlife.[3][4]
Status
Both the Gambian pouched rat and C. emini are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with stable numbers.[5][6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Monadjem, Ara; Taylor, Peter J.; Denys, Christiane; Cotterill, Fenton P. D. (2015). Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Biogeographic and Taxonomic Synthesis. De Gruyter. Section: Cricetomyinae. ISBN 9783110389234.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Joo, M. (2004). "Cricetomys gambianus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Gambian Pouched Rat". MyFWC.com. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Gambian Giant Pouched Rat". National Invasive Species Information Center. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ Kennerley, R. (2023). "Cricetomys gambianus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T112169507A243173564.en. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ Cassola, F. (2016). "Cricetomys emini". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T5521A22236579.en. Retrieved 2 November 2026.