Southern African Giant Rat (Cricetomys ansorgei)

Native to Zimbabwe, the southern giant African pouched rat is also common in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The doe is matriarchal and is supported by nurse rats when suckling her pups (1-3/litter). Adult males weigh 1.5 to 2.0 kg and females weigh 1.2 to 1.6 kg . Their cheek pouches are used to collect food which they carry back to their colonies which are then stored in food larders. From their nose to the tip of their tail, they are ca.70-80 cm with dark brown to reddish fur on their backs and a pale belly. The tail is bi-coloured, brown with white at the distal third of the tail. Bucks scent mark using cheek and anogenital rubbing, in addition to urine. Mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogeny demonstrated that they are unique and distinct from C. gambianus. They are very easily tamed and within one hour of capture, readily take a slice of bread from their human handler. After training with rewards of mashed banana, they are extremely useful to humans including in unexploded ordinance, tuberculosis and drug detection.

Posted on May 1, 2024 02:17 PM by