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Giant pouched rats are only distantly related to the true rats, although until recently they had been placed in the same family, Muridae. [1] Recent molecular studies, however, place them in the family Nesomyidae, part of an ancient radiation of African and Malagasy muroids. The name "pouched rat" refers to their large cheek pouches. The ...
The Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), also commonly known as the African giant pouched rat, is a species of nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys, in the family Nesomyidae. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing to about 0.9 m (3 ft) long, including the tail, which makes up half of its total ...
The southern giant pouched rat is a large rodent, with males larger than females. Adult males typically weigh 1.5 to 2.0 kg (3.3 to 4.4 lb), while females weigh 1.2 to 1.6 kg (2.6 to 3.5 lb). The pouches for which these rats are named consist of oversized cheek-pouches.
Pouched rats are found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of southern Africa. They are characterized by having large cheek pouches and a distinctive molar morphology . The molars are very similar to the type seen in the subfamily Murinae , but pouched rats probably evolved this similarity through convergent evolution .
Eight giant African pouched rats were able to detect four wildlife samples from 146 non-target items during this four-year study.
The creatures — “one of the world’s rarest rodents” — is at least two times the size of common rats, researchers said. ‘Giant coconut-cracking rat’ photographed for first time in ...
The Malagasy giant rat Hypogeomys antimena has a body length of 30–35 cm ... Nesomyinae): a test of the single origin hypothesis" (PDF). Cladistics. 15 (3): ...
San Diego Zoo wildlife care specialist Lauren Credidio provides a treat to Runa, an African giant pouched rat, after she searched and found a pouch of chamomile tea during a presentation at the ...