Southern giant pouched rat
Southern giant pouched rat | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Nesomyidae |
Genus: | Cricetomys |
Species: | C. ansorgei |
Binomial name | |
Cricetomys ansorgei | |
Synonyms | |
See text |
The southern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae.[2][3][4][5] It is widely distributed in mainly tropical regions of southern Africa, notably Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[6][7]
Synonyms
A large number of synonyms have been noted for this species.[6] They include:
- Cricetomys adventor Thomas and Wroughton, 1907
- Cricetomys cosensi Hinton, 1919
- Cricetomys cunctator Thomas and Wroughton, 1908
- Cricetomys elgonis Thomas, 1910
- Cricetomys enguvi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys haagneri Roberts, 1926
- Cricetomys kenyensis Osgood, 1910
- Cricetomys luteus Dollman, 1911
- Cricetomys microtis Lönnberg, 1917
- Cricetomys osgoodi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys raineyi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys selindensis Roberts, 1946
- Cricetomys vaughanjonesi St. Leger, 1937
- Cricetomys viator Thomas, 1904
Distribution
The southern African giant pouched rat is distributed in the savannah of East and Southern Africa.
Description
The southern African giant pouched rat is a large rodent, with males larger than females. Adult males typically weigh 1.5-2.0 kg, while females weigh 1.2-1.6 kg. From their nose to the tip of their tail, these animals are approximately 70-80cm long.
Females have small litters, usually between 1-3 young at a time.
They have dark brown to reddish fur on their backs and a pale belly. The tail is bi-colored, brown with white at the distal third of the tail.
Taxonomy
An analysis of cranial head measurements, as well as mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogeny shows C. ansorgei to be distinct from other members of the genus Cricetomys.[8] C. ansorgei may have a largely-undescribed sister species which resides west of the Congo River.
Previously, many animals described as 'Cricetomys gambianus' may have instead been C. ansorgei based on the new characterization[9].
Use by humans
The southern African giant pouched rat is used in Tuberculosis detection, and in locating landmines through initiatives by APOPO.[10][9]
The pouched rat is also popular as bushmeat.
References
- ↑ Mammals of Tanzania. Fieldmuseum.org. Retrieved on 2012-12-28.
- ↑ Bo Beolens; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson (2009). The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. JHU Press. pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9.
- ↑ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. (2012). Cricetomys ansorgeisouthern giant pouched rat. The Animal Diversity Web (online).
- ↑ Don E. Wilson; DeeAnn M. Reeder (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. JHU Press. pp. 932–. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.
- ↑ Cricetomys ansorgei. ION: Index to Organism Names. Organismnames.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-28.
- 1 2 Cricetomys ansorgei Archived 2010-06-07 at the Wayback Machine.. Mammal Species of the World . Bucknell.edu. Retrieved on 2012-12-28.
- ↑ African Rodentia ›› Cricetomys ansorgei [RMCA 96.036-M-5379]. Projects.biodiversity.be. Retrieved on 2012-12-28.
- ↑ OLAYEMI, AYODEJI; NICOLAS, VIOLAINE; HULSELMANS, JAN; MISSOUP, ALAIN D.; FICHET-CALVET, ELISABETH; AMUNDALA, DRAZO; DUDU, AKAIBE; DIERCKX, THEO; WENDELEN, WIM (2012-06-26). "Taxonomy of the African giant pouched rats (Nesomyidae: Cricetomys): molecular and craniometric evidence support an unexpected high species diversity". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 165 (3): 700–719. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00823.x. ISSN 0024-4082.
- 1 2 Poling, Alan (2016). "Using pouched rats to help people: Notes from the field". American Psychologist. 71 (8): 835–842. doi:10.1037/amp0000046. ISSN 1935-990X.
- ↑ "Tuberculosis detection by pouched rats: Opportunities for reinforcement under low-prevalence conditions". Behavioural Processes. 2017-05-26. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.015. ISSN 0376-6357.
Further reading
- Kingdon, J. 1984. East African mammals: An atlas of evolution in Africa. (Hares and Rodents). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2B:550–554.
- Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon field guide to African mammals, AP Natural World Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, p. 199-200.
- Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2:1344–1346, 1495–1496.
- Swynnerton, G. H., and R. W. Hayman. 1951. A checklist of the land mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society, 20(6):274–392.