African pouched rat
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What is an African pouched rat?
The African pouched rat, from the subfamily Cricetomyinae, is any of five species of African rodents characterized by cheek pouches used to carry food. They have grey to brown coats and white or gray underparts. The three genera differ in size, behavior, and geographic distribution.
The two species of giant pouched rat (genus Cricetomys) weigh nearly 3 kg (6.6 pounds) and have bodies up to 42 cm (16 inches) long. The short-tailed pouched rats (genus Saccostomus) are small and thickset, weighing about 75 grams (2.6 ounces) with bodies up to 18 cm long. The long-tailed pouched rat (Beamys hindei) weighs up to 97 grams, with a body up to 16 cm long.
Gambian pouched rats are in demand as land mine detectors in Africa and Asia.
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Where do African pouched rats live?
African pouched rats are African rodents with cheek pouches for carrying food. They are terrestrial, with gray to brown coats and lighter underparts, and include the genera Beamys, Cricetomys, and Saccostomus.
Giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus and C. emini) live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, except for southern South Africa, in forests, woodlands, gardens, orchards, and sometimes houses. They den in burrows in moist, shady areas or abandoned termite mounds.
Short-tailed pouched rats (Saccostomus campestris and S. mearnsi) inhabit savannas and natural grasslands from eastern to southern Africa and can be found in or near cultivated land. They use dens made by other animals, holes among tree roots, or rock piles.
Long-tailed pouched rats (Beamys hindei) live in soft, sandy soil along the coasts of southern Kenya and Tanzania and inland to northeastern Zambia. They live in forests, open woodlands, fallow agricultural fields, and cassava plantations.
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What do African pouched rats eat?
African pouched rats are any of five species of African rodents characterized by cheek pouches that are used for carrying food back to their burrows, where it is eaten or stored.
The two species of giant pouched rat are omnivorous. The short-tailed pouched rats feed primarily on seeds during wet periods but also eat insects during drought. The long-tailed pouched rat eats seeds and fruit.
Diets of most rodents include vegetable and animal matter. Some are opportunistic generalists, and some are specialized predators. Food is either eaten where gathered or carried to burrows and stored.
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Why are they called 'pouched' rats?
African pouched rats get their common name from the presence of cheek pouches, which they use to transport food to their burrows for consumption or storage. These pouches are a key characteristic of these rodents, setting them apart from other rat species.
The African pouched rat subfamily, Cricetomyinae, includes five species across three genera: Cricetomys (giant pouched rats), Saccostomus (short-tailed pouched rats), and Beamys (long-tailed pouched rat). They are terrestrial animals with gray to brown coats and lighter underparts.
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How do African pouched rats help humans?
African pouched rats, also known as Gambian pouched rats, are helpful in detecting land mines in Africa and Asia, where these explosives injure or kill thousands annually. These trained rats can cover more ground than humans in land mine detection. Due to their small size, they are not heavy enough to detonate the mines. It takes nine months to train them, and they are rewarded with food, such as bananas, when they successfully complete their tasks.
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What special features make African pouched rats unique among rodents?
African pouched rats are African rodents known for their distinctive cheek pouches, which they use to transport food to their burrows. They are terrestrial animals with gray to brown coats and lighter underparts.
The giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus and C. emini) can weigh up to 3 kg and are hunted for food. These gentle animals are easily tamed and have been studied as a reliable food source. These rats are also trained to detect land mines because of their powerful sense of smell. The smaller, short-tailed pouched rats (Saccostomus campestris and S. mearnsi) are thickset and soft-furred. The long-tailed pouched rat (Beamys hindei) is a nimble climber.
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African pouched rat, (subfamily Cricetomyinae), any of five species of African rodents characterized by cheek pouches that are used for carrying food back to their burrows, where it is eaten or stored. All are terrestrial and have gray to brown coats with white or gray underparts, but the three genera differ in size, behaviour, and geographic distribution. The smaller species are sometimes called pouched mice.
Natural history
The two species of giant pouched rat (genus Cricetomys) are hunted in the wild and eaten by native peoples. Gentle animals, they are easily tamed and raised in captivity and thus have been studied to determine their marketability as a reliable source of food. Both species (C. gambianus and C. emini) are large, weighing nearly 3 kg (6.6 pounds) and having bodies up to 42 cm (16 inches) long. Their long heads have large ears; the scantily haired tail is longer than the body and is white on the terminal half. Predominantly nocturnal, giant pouched rats are omnivorous and are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, except for southern South Africa. Habitats in which they live include forests and woodlands, as well as gardens, orchards (where they climb fruit trees during the day), and sometimes houses. Although these rats occasionally den in abandoned termite mounds, they live mostly in burrows dug in moist and shady areas. Litter size ranges from one to five.
The short-tailed pouched rats (genus Saccostomus) are small and thickset, weighing about 75 grams (2.6 ounces) and having bodies up to 18 cm long and much shorter tails. Both species (S. campestris and S. mearnsi) are soft-furred, nocturnal, and slow-moving. They feed primarily on seeds during wet periods but also eat insects during drought. Although they can excavate their own burrows, they also use dens made by other animals, as well as holes among tree roots and rock piles. Short-tailed pouched rats living in environments where the temperature is highly variable go spontaneously into torpor. These rats usually inhabit savannas and natural grasslands from eastern to southern Africa, but they sometimes can be found living in or near cultivated land. Litter size ranges from 1 to 10.
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The long-tailed pouched rat (Beamys hindei) is nocturnal and a nimble climber. Medium-sized, it weighs up to 97 grams and has a body up to 16 cm long and a scantily haired tail about as long as the head and body. It constructs burrows in soft sandy soil along the coasts of southern Kenya and Tanzania and inland southward to northeastern Zambia. This species lives in a variety of forest habitats and open woodlands and is occasionally found in fallow agricultural fields and cassava plantations. The long-tailed pouched rat eats seeds and fruit and bears litters of four to seven young. Uncommon and dependent upon wooded habitats, this rodent has been made vulnerable to extinction by deforestation.
Classification and paleontology
African pouched rats constitute the subfamily Cricetomyinae of the mouse and rat family Muridae within the order Rodentia. Although Beamys and Cricetomys are not represented by fossils, preserved fragments of Saccostomus provide evidence that its evolutionary history dates back three million to five million years during the Pliocene Epoch.
- Subfamily Cricetomyinae (African pouched rats)
- 5 species in 3 genera.
- Genus Cricetomys (giant pouched rats)
- 2 species.
- Genus Saccostomus (short-tailed pouched rats)
- 2 species.
- Genus Beamys (long-tailed pouched rat)
- 1 species.