the giant pouched rats ( genus cricetomys ) of sub-saharan africa are large muroid rodents .

their head and body lengths range from 25 – 45 cm ( 10 – 17.5 in ) with scaly tails ranging from 36 – 46 cm ( 14 – 18 in ) .

they weigh between 1.0 and 1.5 kg ( 2.2 and 3.3 lb ) .

giant pouched rat

] which has been separated as a species from the southern giant pouched rat .
all phylogenetic analyses confirm that the african giant pouched rat genus cricetomys is a monophyletic species assemblage .
dr harpreet s . kochhar : legalization of the gambian pouched rat in canada .
edit : giant pouched rat , doesn ' t have to be gambian as long as it gets close to the same size .
we will use african giant pouched rats ( cricetomys gambianus ) to answer some of these questions . the common name , the african giant pouched rat , is a misnomer , given that it is only a distant relative of the conventional rat ( rattus rattus ) .
at least the giant rat of sumatra would be a little difficult to hide . maybe…
an african giant pouched rat ( also dubbed hero rats for their ability to sniff out mines and tb ) receives a treat during training .
the rat and possum , giant and tiny , were stars on 60 minutes last night .
the giant pouched rats are trained to sniff out land mines in a number of countries in africa .
i was curious about giant pouched / gambian rats and how much they generally cost . anyone know ?
has never been truer . in fact , isaac , an african giant pouched rat , looks like a run - of - the - mill rodent .
an african giant pouched rat ( also dubbed hero rats for their ability to sniff out mines and tb ) receives a treat during training . : aww
dumbo / fancy rats don ' t live up to 8 years like the gambian pouched rat .
a belgian nonprofit has found african giant pouched rats are much better at detecting tnt than people or dogs .
ajayi , s . 1977 . field observations on the african giant rat cricetomys gambianus in southern nigeria .
knight , m . 1988 . thermoregulation in the largest african cricetid , the giant rat cricetomys gambianus .
petition · dr harpreet s . kochhar : legalization of the gambian pouched rat in canada . · urltoken
african giant pouched rats—huge , cat - size rodents native to central africa—have bad vision but an extraordinary sense of smell .
management assistance federal agencies ' responsibilities to control gambian giant pouched rats are established in executive order 13112 . > > more
the african giant rat is an omnivorous rodent which feeds on a wide range of food items . its diet includes
ajayi , s . 1977 . live and carcass weights of giant rat cricetomys gambianus and domestic rabbit oryctalagus cuniculus .
where rubbish is strewn and left and there are reported incidents of these giant pouched rats eating human babies and sleeping adults .
i ' m convinced i study the most adorable rat species in the world , cricetomys gambianus , the african giant pouched rat or the gambian rat . they are perhaps more famously known as hero rats because of their humanitarian work in detecting explosive devices and tuberculosis in biological samples .
dipeolu , o . , s . ajayi . 1976 . parasites of theafrican giant rat cricetomys gambianus in ibadan nigeria .
conflicts a range expansion of gambian giant pouched rats onto the us mainland could harm other wildlife species and agricultural production > > more .
after a gestation period of 27 days , females give birth to litters of two to four altricial pups . the african giant rat
sophia mao with fred , an african giant pouched rat trained to detect unexploded ordnance . “my favourite herorat is fred because he just gets on with the job like me , ” photograph : lauren crothers
the giant pouched rats are strictly nocturnal and mostly solitary , except when breeding . the home range of adult males and female rats overlaps . the
while gambian pouched rats have been confined to grassy key , the concern is that they may make it to the mainland and pose a threat to florida’s agricultural industry in south miami - dade county . these rats are larger than native florida rat species , including the key largo wood rat , cotton rat and silver rice rat , as well as the nonnative common black rat .
gambian pouched rats are very large rats native to central africa , also known as the african giant pouched rat . they would naturally be found in regions south of the sahara desert and can adapt to a variety of habitats . they do require shelter such as hollow trees , rock outcroppings or burrows . where their range overlaps human habitation they can be regarding as pests . gambian pouched rats are famously used to sniff out unexploded landmines and tuberculosis in mozambique , tanzania and thailand . a separate species of pouched rat called the emins pouched rat is also available , although very rare , and is more slendar in appearance than the gambian .
this is a gambian pouched rat , a breed almost 3 feet from nose to tail , the kind of rat that gives cats nightmares . yet this rat is a genius as well as a giant , for it has learned how to detect land mines by scent — and it’s doing its best to save humans like me from blowing up .
poling a , weetjens b , cox c , beyene n , sully a . using giant african pouched rats ( cricetomys gambianus ) to detect land mines .
apopo uses african giant pouched rats ( cricetomys gambianus ) for a number of reasons . rats generally have an excellent sense of smell , are intelligent and trainable , cheap to keep , abundant , and are too light to set off the mines . the african giant pouched rat , in particular , is local to sub - saharan africa and adapted to that environment and resistant to its diseases .
get to know what it ' s like to keep pouched rats as pets .
giant gambian pouched rats have been found on grassy key in florida , two years after they were thought to have been eradicated . this is our future , people .
machang’u r , mgode g , asenga j , mhamphi g , hartskeerl r , goris m , et al . characterization of leptospira isolates from captive giant pouched rats ,
ajayi , s . , o . tewe , e . faturoti . 1978 . behavioral changes in african giant rat ( cricetomys gambianus waterhouse ) under domestication .
research wildlife services ' national wildlife research center conducts research and investigational activities on a wide variety of wildlife damage issues including those related to gambian giant pouched rats . > > more
the giant pouched rat of tropical africa is naturally shy and docile . adults can grow up to three feet long . they have cheek pouches which they use to carry food . if socialised at an early age these wild animals can make wonderful pets .
sounds interesting . when i kept mice they only recognised me as a giant maintenance hand .
the rats will be tested and trained by apopo , a tanzanian - based group that pioneered using the african giant pouched rat to find landmines . harnessed to wires , the rats scamper along and are rewarded by a handler if they find a buried device .
the gambian giant pouched rat ( cricetomys gambianus ) , which are native to a large area of central and southern africa , accidentally became established in the florida keys in 1999 following an escape or release by a pet breeder . if this invasive species reaches the us mainland , there could be extensive damage to the florida fruit industry . this species also poses a risk of monkeypox and other diseases . the gambian giant pouched rat is the subject of a cooperative partnership among ws , the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission , us fish and wildlife service , south florida water management district , and the florida park service , to eradicate the invasive species from the florida keys . overview the gambian giant pouched rat is an invasive species that occurs in the florida keys . > > more
so yesterday , i adopted an unborn land - mine - detecting african giant pouched rat ( cricetomys gambianus ) from tanzania . did i spend 20 minutes figuring out what i was going to call it , as one of my many privileges as an adoptive parent ?
unlike bomb - sniffing dogs , herorats are not handler - loyal , which means a rat will work with anyone . the rat is harnessed and a lead attached that guides where the rat is needed to search . image source :
here we attempt to address several questions surrounding the natural history and behavioral ecology of the african pouched rat . in doing so , we aim to provide a better description of the animal’s natural behavior which will enable systematic study of giant pouched rats , facilitate the identification of other behaviors that could be exploited for training purposes , and help refine explosives - detection methods .
in fact , the pouched rat is more closely related to gerbils than rats ( jansa & weksler , 2004 ) . the term ‘african giant pouched rat’ may refer to one of the two species from the genus cricetomys , however some claim that there are many more species in this genus ( corti et al . , 2005 , olayemi et al 2012 ) . a uniting feature of the cricetomyinae sub - family is the pouched cheek in which these animals store food while foraging . it is for this reason that they are called ‘pouched’ , however their physical resemblance to rattus is most likely a result of convergent evolution from distinct ancestors .
apopo trains african giant pouched rats to sniff out explosives in land mines by conditioning them to associate the scent with rewards of food . the scientists in tanzania exposed the ( not giant ) rats to the smell of the saliva of tb patients and associated the smell with reward of food .
ajayi , s . 1977 . field observations on the african giant rat cricetomys gambianus in southern nigeria . east african wildlife journal , 15 ( 3 ) : 191 - 198 .
machang’u rs , mgode gf , asenga j , mhamphi g , weetjens b , cox c , et al . serological and molecular characterization of leptospira serovar kenya from captive african giant pouched rats (
poling a , weetjens b . j , cox c , beyene n , bach h , sully a . teaching giant african pouched rats to find land mines : operant conditioning with real consequences .
it’s days like this i’m glad i live in a rat - free province .
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
last week we told you about the african gambian pouched rat ' s reemergence on grassy key . now comes an organization headquartered in tanzania called apopo , dedicated to training african gambian pouched rats to detect land mines and tuberculosis . when trained , they ' re dubbed herorats .
you may have heard rumors about the african giant pouched rat , or maybe you ' ve seen a picture and thought how great it would be to have one of these majestic giants as a pet . well , before you base your decision to obtain an african rat on what you already know about rats as pets , read on and lea . . .
a tanzanian social enterprise founded by two belgians , called apopo , trains gambian pouched rats to detect land mines and tuberculosis with their highly developed sense of smell , calling the trained pouched rats herorats .
ajayi , s . 1977 . live and carcass weights of giant rat cricetomys gambianus and domestic rabbit oryctalagus cuniculus . east african wildlife journal , 15 ( 3 ) : 223 - 228 .
dipeolu , o . , s . ajayi . 1976 . parasites of theafrican giant rat cricetomys gambianus in ibadannigeria . east african wildlife journal , 14 ( 1 ) : 85 - 89 .
antibodies to serogroup ballum ( serovar kenya ) were detected in humans but not in the sampled animal species in the ecosystem . the serogroup was previously isolated from urine of african giant pouched rat ( cricetomys gambianus ) from morogoro , tanzania [ 14 ] . the seropositivity of the serogroup ballum in humans may be due to the presence of african giant pouched rats in the study area , which may serve as a potential source of the serogroup to humans due to contamination of the environment with urine .
armed with this discovery and his own experiences with various members of the rodent family , weetjens sought out rodent expert professor ron verhagen of the university of antwerp . verhagen recommended a lightweight , four - legged critter with the right nose for the job : the aforementioned african giant pouched rat .
giant pouched rats are only distantly related to the true rats , and are named due to their large cheek pouches ; they are one of the largest species of rat known to man . females of the species may be capable of producing up to 10 litters each year . gprs are nocturnal .
knight , m . 1988 . thermoregulation in the largest african cricetid , the giant rat cricetomys gambianus . comparative biochemistry and physiology a - physiology , 89 ( 4 ) : 705 - 708 .
everdream mousery / rattery needs your help with “ dr harpreet s . kochhar : legalization of the gambian pouched rat in canada . ” . join everdream mousery / rattery and 377 supporters today .
other species have been put forward for the title before , but all seemed to fall short somehow . capybaras are enormous but not very rattish — more like giant guinea pigs . gambian pouched rats can be the size of raccoons , but they are tempermentally and geographically incorrect and anyway aren’t true rats . the mountain giant sunda rat lives on sumatra and is plenty rattish , but not very giant — only half again the size of the common norway brown you see on subway tracks and in the alleys behind grocery stores .
ryan , j . 1989 . evolution of cheek pouches in african pouched rats ( rodentia : cricetomyinae ) .
- import of the gambian pouched rats to be authorized with veterinarians paperwork certifying them being free from diseases .
bart weetjens , a self - described monk , started the organization in 1998 . he had read an article about gerbils detecting explosives in airports and says he had an
aha
moment about the giant pouched rats .
i have a rat . she is awesome but this new . new is always better .
giant rats can already sniff out landmines , but will be branching out in a bid to fight illegal poaching .
the gambian pouched rat is native to africa and is the world’s largest rat , reaching up to 9 pounds . the average size is 3 pounds , measuring 20 - 35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail . the body is gray to brown in color , with a lighter belly . beyond its large size , this rat can be distinguished by its long ( 14 - 18 inches ) , almost hairless tail , with the last third a lighter , off - white color . the gambian pouched rat gets its name from the way it collects food by stuffing its cheek pouches .
gambian pouched rats are a prohibited species in florida ( 68 - 5 . 003 , florida administrative code ) .
geneva : global forum for health research ; 2009 . african giant rats for tuberculosis detection : a novel diagnostic technology .
enter the rats . these are not kitchen rats , but african giant pouched rats , also known as gambian pouched rats , about 2 feet long from head to tail . their eyesight is terrible . but their sense of smell is extraordinary . the rats can detect the presence of tnt in amounts starting at 29 grams ( about 1 ounce ) .
never get just one . left alone ( without a friend ) is tragic to a rat .
the real challenge is finding a breeder . search for gambian pouched rat or emin ' s pouched rat , two similar breeds of the super - large rat variety . the us used to ban them because of a monkeypox fear , though that federal ban has been lifted . i am not sure about specific state laws , but i doubt florida let ' s you do it - they had a small epidemic in the keys a few years ago , the gambian has no natural predators and it tore up some farmland .
an african giant pouched rat sniffs for traces of land mine explosives at a training facility run by apopo , a nonprofit that trains the rats to detect both tuberculosis and land mines . not only does it have an excellent nose , but it can jump 5 feet in the air . carl de souza / afp / getty images hide caption
enter apopo , a belgian nonprofit that has created an army of tnt - sniffing african giant pouched rats . these critters are light enough to walk over the mines without setting them off , and use their noses to find the explosives quickly .
a group in cambodia is using gambian giant rats to find the nearly two million land mines spread out across the country .
malanje , angola — i’m walking in a minefield here in rural angola , tailing a monster rat .
who can identify tb faster : lab technicians for apopo such as karim chang ' a , rehema kondo , eustachian sezary , or a rat like chewa ? no contest — it ' s the rat .
urltoken is the premier rat forum on the internet . registered users do not see the above ads .
ajayi , s . , o . tewe , e . faturoti . 1978 . behavioral changes in african giant rat ( cricetomys gambianus waterhouse ) under domestication . east african wildlife journal , 16 ( 2 ) : 137 - 143 .
update : i looked up some regulations , emin ' s rats and gambian rats were illegal in the us , but the ban was lifted in 2008 . it ' s now legal to own giant pouched rats , as long as they are bred in the us . but state laws all differ . for example , gambian pouched rats are prohibited in the entire state of kentucky , according to born free usa . no other state appears to have a global restriction on the keeping of african pouched rats according to born free usa . some states or localities may require owners to purchase licenses to keep pet african pouched rats .
so can we please ditch the stereotype of rats as dirty criminals ? because there are giant rats being trained to save lives .
a cat and a rat . . . . getting along together ? ! everything i know is lies >
a very proud african giant pouched rat who couldn’t wait to share the good news that she was a mother , excitedly dragged her human ismerie laurencin by the finger to come and meet the new arrivals . these amazing rodents are part of apopo , a belgian non - profit organization that trains rats to sniff out tuberculosis and landmines in hard hit areas around the world .
do you know how to bottle fed gambian pouched rats ? the mother dont accept her 6 babies anymore . they are 2weeks old
african giant pouched rats usually live to eight years old , making them a pretty great investment . this also goes for the tb - detecting rats , one of which can evaluate in 10 minutes more samples than a lab technician can do in an entire day .
despite the fact that our craniometric and sequence data were obtained from populations that are geographically very distant from the type locality ( essentially tanzania vs . angola ) , we argue that our sample also contains c . ansorgei thomas , 1904 . dna sequences that we attribute to this species are from morogoro in tanzania , and a genbank sequence from kenya ( af160613 , erroneously designated as c . emini ) . from our molecular data it is clear that these populations of the so - called southern giant pouched rat do not represent an extension of the species c . gambianus into the savannah zone of east and southern africa . furthermore , our results contradict the suggestion of genest - villard ( 1967 ) that the relatively larger body size of the east african savannah pouched rat , c . ansorgei , is a subspecies under c . gambianus . our findings agree with the interpretation of musser & carleton ( 2005 ) that raised the taxonomic status of the south - eastern african giant pouched rat to that of a full species .
a very proud african giant pouched rat who couldn’t wait to share the good news that she was a mother , excitedly dragged her human ismerie laurencin by the sleeve of her blouse to come and meet the new arrivals . these amazing rodents are part of apopo , a belgian non - profit organization that trains rats to sniff out tuberculosis and landmines in hard hit areas around the world .
gambian rats use screeching as the main form of communication . gambian rats emit one single short cry which is distinguishable from the longer , varied pitch of african giant pouched rats . males also use olfactory cues during courtship when they sniff the urine left by female gambian rats .
conservation international says that an expedition to the remote , jungle - covered foja mountains of papua province in western new guinea found , among many other fascinating things , living specimens of two mammals previously unknown to science , a tiny opossum and a giant rat .
heller a , ledbetter e , singh b , lee dn , ophir ag . ( 2017 ) ophthalmic examination findings and intraocular pressures in wild - caught african giant pouched rats ( cricetomys spp . ) veterinary ophthalmology . 1 - 6 . doi : 10 . 1111 / vop . 12534
who can identify tb faster : lab technicians for apopo such as karim chang ' a , rehema kondo , eustachian sezary , or a rat like chewa ? no contest — it ' s the rat . maarten boersema / apopo hide caption
you ' d better believe it . when a rat puts on his wizard hat , you know he means business .
in recent years , operant discrimination training procedures have been used to teach giant african pouched rats to detect tuberculosis ( tb ) in human sputum samples . this article summarizes how the rats are trained and used operationally , as well as their performance in studies published to date . available data suggest that pouched rats , which can evaluate many samples quickly , are sufficiently accurate in detecting tb to merit further investigation as a diagnostic tool .
two rat trainers stand on either side and are joined be a piece of string attached to a lower leg . the rat is then led across this guide and if it successfully finds a land mine is given a food - based reward .
since my second week ( and after a couple of days of pre - baiting ) i ' ve been catching pouched rats every trap night .
they are also small enough to be easily accommodated and transported and can concentrate for much longer periods of time . more specifically , african giant pouched rats are endemic in africa and resistant to most tropical diseases . their one drawback is their life expectancy , which is only up to 8 years .
the giant african rat has a long tail , which is bare with a white tip . the body is covered with buff - grey , relatively long fur whereas the under parts are slightly paler . front hands are white . face is characterised by long dark whiskers . an
the rat indicates the position of a mine by scratching the surface , but is too light to set off the explosive .
i ' m trapping . seriously , i ' m studying african giant pouched rats , cricetomys gambianis in the wild to learn more about their natural history and behavioral ecology . specifically , we ( my pi and i ) are interested in knowing more about the social organization and behavior of this species .
i think i found my rat : a scraggly codger named boban who is just the right age to have been trained when my kids sponsored the rat . boban was named after a tanzanian soccer star , and the handlers said he was highly dependable .
this map shows confirmed sightings of gambian pouched rats in florida as of march 18 , 2015 . recent confirmed sighting information is available online at urltoken .
gambian pouched rats reproduce easily and can have up to five litters in the span of nine months , with an average of four young per litter .
i used to keep a single rat , and it always seemed perfectly happy as long as i spent time with it .
these are my rats , in the lab . they are the subjects in a larger study to examining their behavioral genetics . however , the first part of the study includes assessing the natural history and basic behavioral biology of the african giant pouched rat , cricetomys gambianus , in africa . i ' ll be traveling to tanzania this summer do just that . i ' ll be announcing more details of my travels and research soon . stay tuned .
we propose to address three questions that address fundamental issues in behavioral ecology or molecular biology while simultaneously advancing the development of the african giant pouched rat as a bio - detection mechanism . the latter holds great promise for the department of defense and the armed forces given the broad need for advanced methods of explosives detection by homeland security , protection from ieds ( improvised explosive devices ) , and for sweeping humanitarian efforts toward demilitarizing land throughout the world .
hi ! can anyone help me ? i would like to purchase a giant pouched rat and i don ' t know where to start . if you ' ve never seen on have a look at some clips on ' you tube ' they are really lovely . i already own 12 fancy rats , but i got to have one of these ( or maybe 2 or 3 or 4 ) i have a very long suffering husband . thanks !
' isaac : the story of a little giant ' follows the rodent ' s impressive journey from classroom to field training , in an unlikely story of heroism .
itty bitty marsupials are cute and all , but it’s the rodent that catches the lede’s eye . your ordinary norway rat is frightening and repugnant enough to most people , the more so for knowing that they teem close by and just out of sight . who wants to meet a giant one ?
, ” when sherlock holmes explains to dr . watson that a name mentioned in a letter , matilda briggs , was not that of a young woman , but rather “a ship which is associated with the giant rat of sumatra , a story for which the world is not yet prepared . ”
a single rat is often happy , whenever you are playing with it . but when you are asleep , or out at work or school , or simply going shopping , the single rat can get bored and lonely . it has nothing to do whenever you are not around . unless your rat is with you literally 24 hours a day , it is inevitable that it will be bored sometimes .
get ready for it , because this is the adorable part - the ' pouched’ reference in the species’ name doesn’t refer to the kind of pouch that carries babies , but rather the kind that sits on the inside of the cheeks for extra food storage . so these guys are pretty much giant , really intelligent hamsters .
maddy , from the videos i ' ve seen they ' re about the size of a house cat . definitely a formidable rat .
new times : so , this gambian pouched rat has been an alleged problem in south florida for years , to the point that officials pretty much agree it needs to be eradicated . that necessary ? hypothetically , if these troublesome rats were all shipped to you , could you teach them anything ?
merry is an african giant pouched rat , or cricetomys gambianus , a docile and exceptionally smart rodent with superior olfactory abilities . she is one of a team of “herorats” bred , trained and deployed by the belgian non - profit apopo , which is headquartered in tanzania . after working successfully to help detect mines in mozambique for more than a decade , and in angola since 2013 , the organisation partnered with the cambodian mine action centre ( cmac ) in 2015 .
poling a , weetjens b , cox c , mgode g , jubitana m , kazwala r , et al . using giant african rats to detect tuberculosis : 2009 findings .
please have more than one rat . they are highly social animals and need to live in at least pairs to be happy and healthy .
this rat will have saved more lives in a day than most people will have in a lifetime . give him the whole banana please .
even if you were the rat ' s perfect human - never apart from it , and sleeping only for an hour or so at a time - you could not provide it with the same sort of companionship as another rat , simply because you are a very different species . you would not , for example , communicate with it , or ( presumably ! ) groom it with your teeth the way another rat would .
to trade , sell , or transport pd ' s and six other species of african rodents ( including gambians and giant pouched rats ) due to the whole monkey pox thing . there was a federal order prohibiting the sale / trade or transport of these on june 11th , with a final ruling on november 4th . . . . which reads :
one rat , named victoria , ambles down a 10 - yard stretch of grass , tethered to a line held by handlers on either end .
weetjens then consulted rodent scholars , who suggested gambian pouched rats , in part because they compensate for very weak eyes with a superb sense of smell . they are called “pouched” not because they are marsupials but because they fill their cheeks with nuts and other goodies , and then bury them underground — relying upon scent to recover their caches later . another advantage of gambian pouched rats is that they have an eight - year life span that offers a lengthy return on the nine months of training needed to detect land mines .
even with plenty of attention from you and out of cage time , both of which help any rat , rats still need groups . : / the only excuse for not keeping rats in groups of two or more is if your rat is showing signs of constant aggression towards a cage mate .
tuberculosis samples are placed for a rat to sniff . a simple scratch on the floor of the test area means a positive hit . image source :
that ' s right : someone using a metal - detecting machine will take a lot longer to detect a land mine than a rat using its nose .
3 girls in qt : shady and misha ( the old ladies ) , and blue fairy 4 boys : spaz , brother , buddy , valentino rip : memory and rattie girl , tinsel ( amazing monkey rat ) , ruby ( the gentle giant ) , holly ( lil ' tilty holly jolly rattie ) - gone from sight but never forgotten .
) 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
after a training period of up to a year the rat faces a series of tests and if successful will graduate to real de - mining duties in mozambique .
i’m here because five years ago , my kids gave me a herorat for a father’s day present through urltoken . i didn’t actually take physical possession ( fortunately ! ) but the gift helped pay to train the rat to sniff out explosives . and now i’ve come to minefields of rural angola to hunt for my rat .
ramadhan says that the landmine - sniffing rats have already made a big difference in the places where they work . ( related :
giant rats trained to sniff out tuberculosis in africa .
)
i gave them a little introduction to african giant pouched rats , sometimes call gambian pouched rats , cricetomys gambianus . my rats , as cute and interesting and i think they are , are an exotic animal , not native to the united states . and they have made the news more than one time for their presence in the grassy keys of florida . local fish and wildlife and conservation authorities are worried about this rodent , especially if it ever reaches the mainland . this species has the potential to become an invasive species and wreak havoc on our natural ecology , agriculture and public health .
after the rat pick [ s ] up the scent and scratches ,
hulsok says ,
we give her a food reward , like a banana .
poling a , weetjens b . j , cox c , beyene n . w , bach h , sully a . using trained pouched rats to detect land mines : another victory for operant conditioning .
according to the rat handlers , it requires little human skill to train them ; the rats are quick learners and “easy to work with” . both wild and laboratory - bred rats required four to six months of training to be able to detect tb bacteria successfully . while the giant rats undergo nine months of training , learning to sniff out explosives in old landmines buried underground .
pouched rats are wonderful ( big ) critters ! i know a woman in the uk who breeds them , they ' re a bit more nippy than the average rat , but she ' s starting to breed them to be more tame . unfortunately , i live in the uk and have no idea about in america . sorry , but good luck with your project !
gambian pouched rats are nocturnal and very intelligent . they do need a lot of effort put into taming down a youngster , and it can be very difficult to tame a wilder adult . their large size and powerful bite do not make them a good exotic for a beginner , or someone without the time to invest in them daily . even a well handled pup can change temperament upon sexual maturity or as an adult . it is vital to know the background and family of your gambian pouched rat and do a lot of research before deciding on one as a pet .
gambian pouched rats are one of the world ' s largest rats . besides their large size , the most characteristic trait of gambian pouched rats is the tail which is long , unscaled , and dark in color at the base with the terminal 40 - 60 % white . the fur on the upper body is coarse and gray and often darker down the middle of the back . the fur color grades to a lighter gray on the flanks while the fur on the belly and the top of the feet is white or off - white . dark brown or black patches of fur occur around the eyes and at the base of the whiskers . the naked rounded ear is large and the eyes are small , suggesting that the senses of smell and hearing which are acute may be more important than sight in this nocturnal . the hind feet are large and considered to be well adapted for digging gambian pouched rats possess a pair of large cheek pouches . these pouches can expand to a great size , allowing gambian rats to transport massive quantities of food if necessary . two species are currently recognized : cricetomys gambianus , the gambian pouched rat , and c . emini , emins giant pouched rat . the emins is more slender and muscular in appearance with a longer face to the gambian . other differences are in the fur texture and colour . the emins upper body is smooth and the colour ranging from a dark brown to almost black with a distinct line break to the white underside . some key physical features : endothermic ; homoiothermic ; bilateral symmetry sexual dimorphism : sexes alike .
their utility for the purposes of explosives detection makes the african pouched rat a particularly interesting animal to study . unfortunately almost nothing is known about this species , its natural behavior or its reproductive biology . to truly develop the pouched rat as a biosensor , much about the basic biology must be known . indeed , the most that is known about the behavior of this species comes from only a couple reports from the lab , and the most exhaustive of these was based on the allegorical account of one male and two females . a lack of basic knowledge for the ecology and behavioral habits of c . gambianus severely limits the ability to identify behaviors or environmental conditions to maximize potential for mine detection , or any other application for which this animal may be suited .
since 1997 , a non - profit organization headquartered in tanzania and operating under the acronym apopo ( short for the mouthful of a dutch name anti - persoonsmijnen ontmijnende product ontwikkeling ( or , as it is known by its english translation , anti - personnel landmine detection product development ) has trained african giant pouched rats to detect two things that humans have the ability to but just not nearly as efficiently : landmines and tuberculosis .
take my old rat for example . she had a couple tumors . they were in her brain , pushing up against her skull , making her eyes slowly protrude until they would eventually pop out ( it never got to that point ) . although i took her to a vet , he told me that the best thing anyone could do was to end her suffering humanely , and that ' s what i did . otherwise , rat brain surgery to remove tumors would have been just as devastating to her fragile rat body .
gambian pouched rats are omnivorous , feeding on a range of fruits , vegetables , nuts and insects . they will store their food so keepers will need to check their cage frequently , especially after offering fresh .
alright , so i ' ve had a lot of experience breeding rats , as well as some other more exotic animals , such as hedgehogs . since the ban on giant gambian pouched rats has been lifted for a year now , i thinks that it ' s about time people begin breeding them again . the people who have them absolutely love their little guys , and i feel like if people began breeding for desired traits they could be brought back into the pet world and eventually refined to be just as love - able as our wonderful fancy rats . with these things in mind , i was hoping to start a breeding project soon , but realized that it ' s nearly impossible to find any breeders in the us ! does anyone know where one could get a pair of giant gambian pouched rats in america ? i would really appreciate any help !
ayodeji olayemi , violaine nicolas , jan hulselmans , alain d . missoup , elisabeth fichet - calvet , drazo amundala , akaibe dudu , theo dierckx , wim wendelen , herwig leirs , erik verheyen ; 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 , volume 165 , issue 3 , 1 july 2012 , pages 700–719 , urltoken
, captive bred giant rats are the majority of what is available . buy from a reliable breeder and ask to see the parents if possible as there are some breeders who are not culling out animals with poor temperaments from their breeding animals and this is causing a rise in unstable animals in the pet market which in turn is begining to give the giant pouched rat a bad name . beware of buying from questionable sources , since there have been a few illegal imports of these rats . wild caught and illegally imported animals may carry parasites or dangerous viruses , since they have not been quarantined or tested before entering the country . stick with usda licensed breeders only or pet shops that can tell you where the animals came from . a usda permit is required for breeding and selling , but not for owning as pets . they are illegal in some states , such as california and require nearly impossible to obtain permits , though due to the wording of the regulations in ca , this might be in question if the giant rats happened to be laboratory - reared or albinos ?
many a writer since then has taken that line as a dare , yielding at least six “giant rat of sumatra” novels ( one of them featuring the hardy boys ) , references in countless other stories including “ watership down , ” a “doctor who” episode , and an extended radio - drama parody sketch by the firesign theatre troupe , issued on an album in 1974 . non - sumatran giant rats are even more common in pop culture , from h . g . wells to the latest fantasy video games , to the point that their very ubiquity merited parody in the rodents of unusual size of william goldman’s “ princess bride . ”
there are still some skeptics , even in the demining community , who won ' t trust a rat . hulsok isn ' t one of them . he ' s been looking for and clearing mines and other unexploded ordnance for more than 20 years . in the case of certain mines , he says , he ' d trust a rat over a metal detector any day .
additionally , in the students t - test comparing the savannah c . gambianus versus the forest cricetomys sp . 1 ( table 4 ) , most characters showing a difference ( p < 0 . 001 ) are those indicative of skull width : inte , zygo , pala , upda , and brca . this reinforces the view that forest - dwelling cricetomys species have slimmer snouts and are generally more slender - skulled than the giant pouched rats from the savannahs .
giant pouched rats are trained by the ngo apopo to sniff out landmines in tanzania . first , rats are put through several tests to determine whether they will be able to detect tnt and alert their handlers . with a sharp sense of smell and weighing too little to activate the mines , the rats are faster and more efficient than humans at mine detection . the animals are also being trained to scent tuberculosis . all photographs by sam jones for the guardian
weetjens b . j , mgode g . f , machang ' u r . s , kazwala r , mfinanga g , lwilla f , et al . african pouched rats for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in sputum samples .
africa ' s giant rats are already being used to sniff out landmines and detect tuberculosis in humans , but they soon they could turn their superior noses to protecting other animals by finding illegal wildlife trophies being smuggled out of african ports .
at this minefield , which is full of metal objects , a human with a metal detector can clear only about 20 square meters a day . a rat can clear 20 times as much .
gambian pouched rats feed on insects , snails , nuts , seeds and fruit . they are opportunistic and will eat pet food if it is available . they get their name by the way they collect food in their cheek pouches .
so yesterday , i adopted an unborn land - mine - detecting african giant pouched rat ( cricetomys gambianus ) from tanzania . did i spend 20 minutes figuring out what i was going to call it , as one of my many privileges as an adoptive parent ? you bet . it eventually came down to a character from my favourite video game , and as i figured the chosen undead would be tempting fate just a little too aggressively under the circumstances , knight solaire of astora was born . or rather , will be born in two weeks , as an email promptly informed me once i’d made my first monthly payment for my new son or daughter’s future tuition .
in dar es salaam , tanzania , every morning , a medical specialist known as chewa ( a name that means brave in swahili — but his bosses call him mchapakazi , the hard worker ) gets excited about his job . for two 40 minute sessions , punctuated by a nap and some recreational time with co - workers , he will test smears of human mucus for the presence of tuberculosis by sniffing deeply at each of 10 samples , then letting his supervisors know when he senses the disease in one . he has been taught by staff at the ngo called apopo to know tuberculosis by its smell . chewa is a 3 - pound african giant - pouched rat .
wilbard , a tuberculosis detection rat , at work in the lab . apopo’s tb rats can screen 100 samples of human sputum in 20 minutes ; the same task would take a lab technician four days
that was totally cool and disturbing . i couldn’t get the big link to work but there’s a shorter video ( 2 mins ) which also shows the rat and the ( o ) possum here :
very little is known about the breeding behavior and mating system of giant pouched rats . ewer ( 1967 ) suggests that males and females are solitary . males are larger than females and some evidence suggests that males have larger home - ranges , which suggests that the mating system is polygynous ( one male , multiple female ) . in contrast , in the lab , males appear to form selective pairbonds after mating , males may also provide superficial paternal care to offspring , and females have only a few litters throughout the year ( about 3 ) with only 1 – 4 pups per litter ( ajayi et al . , 1978 , ewer , 1967 ) . unlike most mammals , which demonstrate cyclical ovulation , ovulation in pouched rats is induced ( ewer , 1967 , malekani et al . , 2002 ) . these latter observations suggest that pouched rats could potentially adopt monogamy , or at least serial monogamy ( having only one mating partner per breeding season ) .
although many rats are lucky enough to get plenty of attention from their owners and playtime out of the cage , no owner can be with a rat 24 hours a day as another rat can . nor can any owner adjust her daily routine to entirely concide with her ratõs . rats do not sleep for 8 hours and wake for 16 like humans ; they sleep and wake throughout the day , and are most active during the night and small hours of the morning . if a rat is kept alone , it is forced to spend the best part of its day - the time when it is most playful and energetic and when it would most appreciate company - alone . if rats living together want space , they simply leave each other alone for a while . if they want company , they can have it . rats living with a companion truly have the best of both worlds . what reason could there be to deprive a rat of these opportunities ? why keep a single rat ?
in the hope of developing a viable alternative to or adjunct for microscopy , apopo is exploring the use of african giant pouched rats ( cricetomys gambianus ) to detect the presence of tb . these large and long - lived rats , which are native to much of africa and have an excellent sense of smell , detect tb by sniffing sputum samples . they are trained to respond consistently in one way ( pause ) if the sample contains the tb bacillus ( is positive ) and respond in another way ( not pause ) if the sample does not contain the bacillus ( i . e . , is negative ) . each rat can test hundreds of samples each day , allowing inexpensive testing .


the pin-tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family .

it has a small , pigeon like head and neck and a sturdy , compact body .

it has long pointed wings , which are white underneath , a long tail and a fast direct flight .

flocks fly to watering holes at dawn .

the call is a loud kattar-kattar .

this gregarious species breeds on dry open treeless plains and similar habitats .

its nest is a ground scrape into which two or three cream-coloured eggs with cryptic markings are laid .

both sexes incubate the eggs .

the pin-tailed sandgrouse is about 35 centimetres ( 14 in ) long .

its head and upperparts are yellowish-green .

the underparts are white with a chestnut breast band separating the belly from the green neck .

sexes are somewhat similar , but the female is better camouflaged and has a shorter tail than the male .

there are two subspecies ; p. a. alchata breeds in southern europe and p. a. caudacutus breeds in northwestern africa , the middle east and southeastern asia .

it is a partial migrant , with some asian birds moving to the middle east and northern pakistan in winter .

males of the eastern race have duller underparts than the european birds , and the females have white , rather than yellow , wing coverts .

pin - tailed sandgrouse

chestnut bellied sandgrouse , common indian sandgrouse , indian sandgrouse , lesser pin - tailed sandgrouse , small pin - tailed sandgrouse .
english : common indian sandgrouse , common sandgrouse , indian sandgrouse , kenyan pin - tailed sandgrouse , lesser pintailed sandgrouse , singed sandgrouse , small pin - tailed sandgrouse , somaliland pin - tailed sandgrouse , chestnut - breasted sandgrouse ; french : ganga à ventre brun ; german : braunbauchflughuhn ; spanish : ganga moruna .
nobody uploaded sound recordings for pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) yet .
) species factsheet : pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata [ www document ] . url
the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is a bird in the columbiformes order .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse .
information on the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
the iba of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in turkey are akçakale plains , ceylanpınar and southern euphrates valley and birecik plains . the iba of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in turkmenistan is chokrak - tutly . the iba of these sandgrouse species in portugal is upper river tejo . the iba in france is crau .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse does not approach the thresholds for being vulnerable either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion . the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated the pin - tailed sandgrouse (
changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse . - pubmed - ncbi
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the irises of the pin - tailed sandgrouse are brown . the bare skin around the eyes is slaty blue . the bill is slaty gray . the pin - tailed sandgrouse call is a loud “ kattar - kattar” in flight and also a nasal “ga - ga - ga
sound .
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 15 km derived for 1 ) landscape scale and 2 ) microhabitat scale . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters ( doc 54 kb )
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the landscape requirements are analysed and population sizes are estimated for the pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse during the breeding season in peninsular spain . the estimated populations in the 26 study zones , which comprise the main breeding areas of spain , are c . 13 , 000 individual pin - tailed sandgrouse and 3500 black - bellied sandgrouse . the overall population estimate for peninsular spain is < 14 , 000 pin - tailed sandgrouse and 9000–11 , 000 black - bellied sandgrouse . the latter figure places the species within the ‘endangered’ category in europe .
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english : abyssinian sandgrouse , close - barred sandgrouse , somaliland sandgrouse , suk sandgrouse ; french : ganga de lichtenstein ; german : wellenflughuhnl ; spanish : ganga de lichtenstein .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f et al ( 2010b ) seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo - steppes . ardeola 57 : 191–198
reproduction : breeding season occurs from april to august , with peak in may - june . pin - tailed sandgrouse nests on the ground , in shallow depression or scrape , without lining .
diet : pin - tailed sandgrouse feeds on seeds , green shoots and leaves , mainly from leguminosae , but also from other plant species . they can add cereal grains and cultivated legumes .
these pin - tailed sandgrouse species are partially migratory birds . the breeding populations in northwest africa , spain , portugal , france , middle east and parts of afghanistan are sedentary or nomadic .
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse ( large geographical spatial scale ) with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 100 km derived from 1 ) glm models ( on the left ) and 2 ) glm analyses after applying the moran eigenvector filtering function ( on the right ) . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters . ( doc 67 kb )
benítez - lópez , a . & garcía - egea , i . 2015 . first record of an aberrantly colored pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata . wilson journal of ornithology 127 , 755 - 759 .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f , garcía jt , viñuela j ( 2010b ) seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo - steppes . ardeola 57 ( 1 ) : 191–198
the diet of these pin - tailed sandgrouse species is mostly wild seeds , especially of legumes . they also feed on grain , green shoots , flowers and leaves . they fly in large flocks to watering holes at dawn .
the breeding populations of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan and kyrgyzstan are migratory and migrate to central saudi arabia , northern iraq , southern afghanistan , pakistan and northwest india ( rajasthan , punjab and haryana ) for wintering .
benítez - lópez , ana and garcía - egea , iván 2015 . first record of an aberrantly colored pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . the wilson journal of ornithology , vol . 127 , issue . 4 , p . 755 .
these species of sandgrouse are distributed in north africa , middle east , turkey , iran , iraq , kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan , kyrgyzstan , spain , portugal , france , afghanistan , pakistan and india . the pin - tailed sandgrouse species are gregarious and flocks of hundreds of birds fly to watering holes at dawn . there are two recognized subspecies of these sandgrouse species .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f et al ( 2010a ) positive interactions between vulnerable species in agrarian pseudo - steppes : habitat use by pin - tailed sandgrouse depends on its association with the little bustard . anim conserv 13 : 383–389 . doi :
voice : sounds by xeno - canto pin - tailed sandgrouse gives contact calls in flight . these loud calls are repeated at shot intervals “khattar - khattar” . the french name comes from this sound ( cata ) . on the ground , the bird utters some clucking sounds .
2010 . françois mougeot , ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . seasonal movements and breeding of pin - tailed sandgrouse pterocles alchata . xx congreso español de ornitología . tremp ( lleida ) , spain .
pin - tailed sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the area of fallow and stubble , while black - bellied sandgrouse abundance is positively correlated with the amount of medium / long - term fallow land and the proportion of land used for dry pasture . all of these landscape variables have undergone profound changes in spain since the 1960s due to agricultural intensification .
status : rare ( category iii ) , decreasing in number and area of distribution . the pin - tailed sandgrouse inhabits the deserts of north africa , the near east and central asia . in kazakstan it is found from the aral sea to the betpak dala desert . during the past several years , both the area where it is found and its numbers have been considerably reduced . in the 1960s , flocks of tens and even hundreds of thousands of birds could be observed . today , flocks of several hundreds is a rarity . the basic factors causing the decline in pin - tailed sandgrouse populations are poaching ( at the water holes ) and the disturbance of nesting birds by humans . to protect the pin - tailed sandgrouse , it is necessary to create both the betpak dala preserve and the kyzyl kum preserve and to forbid hunting at all watering places .
outside the breeding season of the pin - tailed sandgrouse , all the upperparts , including head are barred in black and pale - yellow and the throat patch becomes whitish . the female has duller colors . the chin is whitish and the back and the wings are grayish with black barring .
2010 . ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , françois mougeot , javier viñuela . first mortality records in pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in spain . xx congreso español de ornitología . tremp ( lleida ) , spain .
2010 . ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , françois mougeot , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . home ranges and seasonal movements of pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . xiii congreso nacional y x iberoamericano de etología . ciudad real , spain . links
english : imperial sandgrouse , large sandgrouse , oriental sand - grouse ; french : ganga unibande ; german : sandflughuhn ; spanish : ganga ortega .
reasons for the need for protection / inclusion in annex i the pin - tailed sandgrouse is undergoing a widespread decline in both its popualtion size and distribution . this is due mainly to the destruction of dry grassland which has followed the agricultural intensification , particularly in the form of irrigation schemes , and hunting .
2014 . iván peragón , carlos a . martín , fabián casas , ana benítez - lópez , françois mougeot , jesús t . garcía , javier viñuela . satellite - tracking of pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) : home ranges and seasonal movements . xxii congreso español de ornitología , madrid , spain .
there is a broad brownish yellow band on the breast of pin - tailed sandgrouse , bordered on either side by a thin black stripe . the outer wing coverts are reddish brown with black and pale - yellow edges . the rump and tail are barred dark brown and pale - yellow . the central tail streamers are grayish brown . the sandgrouse underparts , underwing and feathered legs are whitish .
protection / threats / status : pin - tailed sandgrouse is common or locally common in several parts of the range , but the species is threatened in most parts of europe , due to changes in agricultural practices . it is still common in spain , and at this moment , this species is not globally threatened .
the pin - tailed sandgrouse is distributed in northwest africa , spain , portugal , france , middle east , afghanistan , kazakhstan , uzbekistan , turkmenistan , kyrgyzstan , saudi arabia , northern iraq , southern afghanistan , pakistan and northwest india . in india they are distributed in the states of rajasthan , punjab and haryana .
predictive species’ distribution models may answer ecological questions about habitat selection , co - occurrence of species and competition between them . we studied the habitat preferences and segregation of two sympatric species of declining sandgrouse , the black - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles orientalis ) and the pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) , during the breeding season . we developed predictive models that related sandgrouse presence to environmental variables at three different spatial levels : large geographical , landscape and microhabitat scales . at the large geographical scale , differences between sandgrouse distributions , in the iberian peninsula , seem to be explained mainly in terms of bioclimatology : pin - tailed sandgrouse appear to be a more thermophilous species and occupy warmer sites usually located in flatter areas . at the landscape spatial level , in those areas that exhibit environmental conditions allowing for both species’ co - existence at a large geographical scale , black - bellied sandgrouse appear to be more tolerant to environmental variation than pin - tailed sandgrouse . at the microhabitat level , however , differences between species could be related to different flocking behaviour as a consequence of different sensitivities to vegetation structure and predators . thus , the observed spatial distribution patterns are the result of different ecological factors that operate at different spatial levels . conservation guidelines for these species should therefore consider their habitat preferences at large geographical , landscape and microhabitat scales .
habitat : pin - tailed sandgrouse frequents arid and semi - arid treeless plains such as semi - desert , steppes , dry mudflats near marshes , and dry cereal fields . this bird avoids dense scrub or tall vegetation , and prefers clay or sandy surfaces . it can be seen in hilly areas and at high elevation .
these pin - tailed sandgrouse species do not occur normally in forest . they inhabit various dry inland ecosystems . they inhabit semi - arid plains , fallow agricultural fields , arid treeless plains , semi - deserts , hot deserts , temperate grasslands , shrublands with sparse short shrubs , steppe , open grassland plains and dry mudflats .
benítez - lópez , a . , mougeot , f . , garcía , j . t . , martín , c . a . & viñuela , j . 2015 . individual traits and extrinsic factors influence survival of the threatened pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in europe . biological conservation 187 , 192 - 200 .
knowledge of the factors determining species distributions is essential for developing conservation strategies . sandgrouse
the breeding season of these pin - tailed sandgrouse species depends upon availability of feed . these sandgrouse species are monogamous and feeding flocks break into pairs . the nest is a ground scrape , which is usually unlined . typically three eggs are laid . the male incubates in the night and the female incubates in the day . the eggs hatch in about 25 days and hatchlings are led to feed by both the parents .
2012 . fabián casas , jesús t . garcía , françois mougeot , ana benítez - lópez , carlos a . martín , sergio gonzález , alejandro urmeneta , javier viñuela . seasonal movements of pin - tailed sandgrouse in bardenas reales biosphere reserve ( navarra ) . poster . xiii congreso nacional y x iberoamericano de etología . sevilla , spain .
range : pin - tailed sandgrouse of race “alchata” is sedentary and nomadic in spain and se france . the race “caudacutus” is found in nw africa , se turkey and middle east . it is resident in north africa and middle east , whereas the populations of the northernmost parts of the range are migratory , wintering in pakistan and nw india .
description smaller ( l 33 cm ) than black - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles orientalis ) , and easy to tell from latter by long tail extension and lack of black belly . in winter gathers in large flocks . the pin - tailed sandgrouse is a species of steppe country , requiring plains without trees or high bushes . it favours lowland plains which comprise a mosaic of arable and non - irrigated fields . the diet consists mainly of seeds . resident .
pin - tailed sandgrouse - the sandgrouse of the agricultural fields of the north - western negev and the species with the narrowest distribution of all four . autumn and winter gatherings at urim have reached between 2000 - 4000 birds annually , and occasionally have exceeded 6000 , all during the 80 ' s and first half of the 90 ' s . since the mid 90 ' s , however , numbers have been ranging between 500 to less than 1000 birds only .
casas , fabián benítez - lópez , ana tarjuelo , rocío barja , isabel viñuela , javier garcía , jesús t . morales , manuel b . and mougeot , francois 2016 . changes in behaviour and faecal glucocorticoid levels in response to increased human activities during weekends in the pin - tailed sandgrouse . the science of nature , vol . 103 , issue . 11 - 12 ,
one of the most common sandgrouse in africa and india ; in no danger of decline .
there are currently no known conservation plans targeting the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( 1 ) .
pin - tailed sandgrouses are gregarious birds and live in flocks of different sizes . in spain , they are often seen with groups of little bustards ( tetrax tetrax ) . sandgrouses are very difficult to see , due to their cryptic plumage and their unobtrusiveness , except when they are flying .
pin - tailed sandgrouse are monogamous and breed in isolated pairs or in loose colonies with nests about six metres apart on the ground . courtship displays by male are simple . it holds the head low , with wings slightly away from the body , and the tail fanned out and raised . before mating , the male approaches its mate holding the legs very stiff and straight and the body erect .
benítez - lópez , a . casas , f . mougeot , f . garcía , j . t . martín , c . a . tatin , l . wolff , a . and viñuela , j . 2015 . individual traits and extrinsic factors influence survival of the threatened pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) in europe . biological conservation , vol . 187 , issue . , p . 192 .
a pin - tailed sandgrouse flew across the front of the hide and landed on the other side of a freshwater sluice , just a few meters away under the watchful eye of a slender - billed gull . a security guard who mans the hide had spotted it earlier and pointed it out , but at the time it was quite a long way off and in a small hollow , making it difficult to identify .
pin - tailed sangrouse adult male in breeding plumage has yellowish upperparts with cryptic pattern and yellow spots . rump and uppertail coverts are black , finely vermiculated creamy - white . the upperwing shows dark grey flight feathers . wings are long and pointed . the tail has long central rectrices , giving the bird its english name .
the breeding male pin - tailed sandgrouse has yellowish face , cheek , neck , throat and upper chest . the crown and upper back are brownish yellow . there are large golden yellow spots and streaks on the shoulder and back . a narrow black stripe starts from the base of the bill and extends through the eyes to half the way to the center of nape . there is a dark patch immediately below the bill .
english : saharan sandgrouse ; french : ganga tacheté ; german : wüstenflughuhn ; spanish : ganga moteada .
not many regularly occuring birds remain on my southern europe wish list now but of the lingerers , three – pin - tailed sandgrouse , rock sparrow and ( greater ) spotted eagle – all winter in provence . finding a £53 flight ( luggage included ) from lisbon to marseilles with the portuguese airline tap meant i could add a winter visit here to my algarve break . and so the opportunity to find these birds has arisen .
time budgets and activity patterns of sandgrouse were studied in semi - arid agricultural land in spain ( black - bellied and pin - tailed sandgrouse ) and in more desertic conditions in israel ( black - bellied and spotted sandgrouse ) . during c . 75 % of daylight hours , all four species were either foraging or inactive . the birds in israel spent more time foraging than those in spain , despite having lower thermoregulatory costs , reflecting a likely difference in the productivity of the sites . partitioning of foraging habitat was evident at both sites and , contrary to expectation , it was the larger black - bellied sandgrouse which spent the most time foraging . in israel , spotted sandgrouse became inactive at high temperatures whereas the black - bellied continued to forage , utilizing the shade available in its dwarf shrub foraging habitat . the range of black - bellied sandgrouse may be limited by its thermoregulatory ability in hot conditions and its need to forage for long periods .
the important bird and biodiversity areas ( iba ) of pin - tailed sandgrouse species in spain are ballobar - candasnos , bardenas reales , belchite - mediana , brozas - membrío , campo de montiel , cogul - alfés steppes , la serena , monegrillo - pina steppe area - pina , plain between cáceres and trujillo - aldea del cano , san clemente - villarrobledo , tembleque - la guardia plains , tierra de campiñas steppes , tordesillas - mota del marqués and villafáfila .
de juana , e . , kirwan , g . m . & martín , c . a . ( 2018 ) . pin - tailed sandgrouse ( pterocles alchata ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
maclean , g . l .
evolutionary trends in the sandgrouse .
malimbus 6 ( 1984 ) : 75–78 .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
pterocliformes ( sandgrouse ) .
grzimek ' s animal life encyclopedia . . retrieved july 09 , 2018 from urltoken urltoken
behaviour : pin - tailed sandgrouse feeds on the ground , taking mainly seeds , and in less extent shoots and leaves . its preferred plants are leguminosae . when foraging in cultivated fields , it feeds on cereal grains and legumes . this bird drinks during the morning , and needs to drink regularly every day because its diet is particularly dry . it walks and runs easily and fast , thanks to the robust legs and the strong , short feet , with three front - toes and a small rudimentary raised hind - toe .
flight : pin - tailed sandgrouse has long , pointed wings and strong musculature , allowing the bird to spring up into the air vertically , and to maintain high speeds over long distances . the flight is strong , direct and sustained , with cruising speeds of about 60 - 70 km / hour , kept up over long distances . . the bird performs continuous wing - flapping , only gliding when about to land . take off is sudden , and when flying in flocks , they fly in close formation , maintaining their distances .
johnsgard , paul a . bustards , hemipodes , and sandgrouse : birds of dry places . oxford : oxford university press , 1991 .
kalchreuter , heribert .
the breeding season of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse pterocles exustus and the black - faced sandgrouse p . decoratus in northern tanzania and its relation to rainfall .
proceedings of the 4th pan - african ornithological congress ( 1976 ) : 277–282 .
ferns pn , hinsley sa ( 1995 ) importance of topography in the selection of drinking sites by sandgrouse . funct ecol 9 : 371–375
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse prefers to eat legumes such as beans , but also eats shoots and insects on rare occasions ( 2 ) .
although population numbers are unknown , there appear to be no major threats to the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation | environmental conservation | cambridge core
maclean , g . l .
field studies on the sandgrouse of the kalahari desert .
living bird 7 ( 1968 ) : 209–235 .
pterocliformes ( sandgrouse ) .
grzimek ' s animal life encyclopedia . . encyclopedia . com . ( july 9 , 2018 ) . urltoken
the effects of european union agricultural regulations on this problem are discussed . the voluntary set - aside regulation , r . 797 / 85 / eec and 1094 / 88 / cee , has received very little acceptance . regulation r . 1765 / 92 / eec , compulsory withdrawal of cropland , involves the ploughing - up of fallows and thus the loss of an important habitat for both species , especially for pin - tailed sandgrouse . agri - environmental schemes linked to r . 2078 / 92 / eec potentially have the most positive effects , although it is still too early to evaluate their impact on bird populations .
the pin - tail sandgrouse , pterocles alchata , is a bird of the dry lands , inhabiting stony semi - desert and plain . the bird featured today is a female of the eastern race p . a . caudacutus which includes northern africa and the middle east within its range . it was introduced into uae . the nominate form can be seen in spain and southern france .
maclean , g . l .
sandgrouse : models of adaptive compromise .
south african journal of wildlife research 15 ( 1985 ) : 1–6 .
spotted sandgrouse – the commonest sandgrouse in the whole negev . the species used to occupy all the loess plains from the northern negev near bear sheva , to the uvda valley in the south , including parts of the arava . peak numbers at a specific drinking spot at nizzana have reached 5000 birds a day .
up until 30 years ago , birders visiting nizzana during each summer and autumn could have witnessed clouds of hundreds , or even thousands , of both spotted and black - bellied sandgrouses gathering to drink every morning . even i , who only started birding during the early 90 ' s , can ' t forget the amazing sight and sound of a noisy cloud of no less than 4200 pin - tailed sandgrouses performing their aerial maneuvers north of urim , the north - western negev , in december 1993 .
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maclean , g . l .
adaptations of sandgrouse for life in arid lands .
proceedings of the 16th international ornithological congress ( 1974 ) : 502–516 .
in order to try to understand the sandgrouses ' s behavior and movement , the ioc , together with the inp , have launched a year - round monthly monitoring programme at four different drinking spots in the western negev and a 3 - monthly programme at another 11 drinking spots between arad in the judean desert and mitzpe ramon in the high negev mountains . in addition , a few spotted sandgrouses have been fitted with high - tech satellite transmitters , and the plan for the coming year is to do the same with some pin - tailed sandgrouses , whilst at a less sophisticated level , some clean water troughs will be scattered among the main sandgrouse concentration hot - spots .
wonderful images ! sandgrouse and the way they carry water back to their chicks were featured on the television series , earth 2 . i’d love to visit this hide .
sandgrouse occur from south africa and namibia through the drier parts of east africa to north africa , spain , the arabian peninsula , central asia , mongolia , and india .
simiyu , a .
some aspects of demography and movement patterns of sandgrouse in southern kenya .
ostrich 69 , no . 3 and 4 ( 1998 ) : 452 .
cade , t . j . , and g . l . maclean .
transport of water by adult sandgrouse to their young .
condor 69 ( 1967 ) : 323–343 .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse occurs along a narrow strip of sub - saharan africa , from the west coast to the east coast , where a larger distribution is found , as well as over much of india and pakistan . there are also scattered populations along the coasts of the middle east . the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse has also been introduced in the usa ( 1 ) .
sandgrouse are abundant throughout their distribution and are not in need of special conservation measures . however , where they are hunted for sport , the shooting season needs to be regulated to avoid overexploitation .
the resident pin - tailed sandgrouse had huge lifer status for the usual reason that i had not found the species on two previous visits to provence in may 2012 and march 2013 . doing so was my top priority this time . trip research had revealed a hitherto untried access point to la crau , at the north - western end near the town of st - martin - de - crau , that appeared to be a good pts location . this is the reserve peau de meau , managed by a regional association for nature conservation , ceep ( conservatoire etudes des ecosystemes de provence ) . after getting a permit dutifully from ceep’s ecomusee de la crau in saint - martin , i arrived on site late on wednesday morning ( 20th ) , having first seen to buying provisions . stomach again , call myself a birder ?
sandgrouse are known as fossils of the genus archaeoganga from the upper eocene of france , some 35 million years ago , one species of which is estimated to have been about three times the size of the largest living sandgrouse species , weighing perhaps 3 lb ( nearly 1 . 5 kg ) . other fossil genera occur into the lower miocene , about 20 million years ago . the general consensus , based on morphological , behavioral , and chromosomal evidence , is that sandgrouse are derived from the shorebirds ( order charadriiformes ) and are sometimes grouped in that order under the suborder pterocli . however , even the earliest fossil sandgrouse show marked divergence from the ancestral shorebird . they are no longer regarded as closely related to doves and pigeons ( order columbiformes ) , with which they were placed for many years .
in many parts of their range , sandgrouse are considered good eating and are hunted at watering points . because most species inhabit remote areas , they generally suffer little human disturbance away from their drinking places .
first , away to my left four little bustard went up before seemingly vanishing into thin air . quite an achievement for such a large bird but a not unusual experience for the species . that also maintained my 100 % record for it at this site . then away on my other side , five pin - tailed sandgrouse at last flew across the sunny morning expanse of the coussoul . mission accomplished ! the middle distance flight view was pretty much what i had expected . i have seen some good birds in the past at la crau : little bustard , stone curlew , red - backed shrike , tawny pipit , melodious warbler and a possible spotted eagle that i didn’t put on my life list . now having gained the elusive top prize i felt very relieved not to have to re - visit this flat and otherwise dour landscape unless i choose to .
most desert - adapted sandgrouse . normally in pairs or small groups by day , gathering into larger flocks at dusk to fly to water . lands a few yards from water , then runs down to drink .
thomas , d . h .
adaptations of desert birds : sandgrouse ( pteroclididae ) as highly successful inhabitants of afro - asian arid lands .
journal of arid environments 7 ( 1984 ) : 157–181 .
sandgrouse are the most terrestrial of birds , feeding , roosting , and nesting on the ground . they fly to water almost every day , covering up to about 75 mi ( 120 km ) round - trip ,
kidney structure is especially well adapted to water conservation ; water - carrying capacity of male ' s belly plumage is greatest for any sandgrouse studied . largely nocturnal , roosting by day in shade of rocks or plants .
del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . and christie , d . a . ( 1997 ) handbook of the birds of the world . volume 13 : sandgrouse to cuckoos . lynx edicions , barcelona .
enly becomes a glorified and distant memory . due to reasons not yet fully understood , the populations of three of the four sandgrouse species of the negev desert have shrunk by an order of magnitude within a decade .
crowned sandgrouse – widespread but uncommon . its range varies from uvda valley in the south to nizzana – wadi zin line in the north . reported regularly also in the arava valley from yahel to hazeva . even at major drinking spots numbers range from 10 to 100 birds at most . although scarce , this species seems to have suffered the least from population decrease or habitat loss , compared with other species of sandgrouse in israel .
lloyd , penn , et al .
rainfall and food availability as factors influencing the migration and breeding activity of namaqua sandgrouse pterocles namaqua .
ostrich 72 , no . 1 and 2 ( 2001 ) : 50–62 .
de juana e ( 1997 ) family pteroclidae ( sandgrouse ) . in : del hoyo a , elliot a , sargatal j ( eds ) handbook of the birds of the world . lynx edicions , barcelona , pp 30–59
mougeot f , benítez–lópez a , casas f et al ( 2014 ) a temperature - based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground - nesting sandgrouse . j arid environ 102 : 89–97 . doi :
are threatened in spain , the stronghold of european populations . spatial modelling was used to : ( 1 ) assess the relative importance of abiotic , anthropogenic and geographical factors in the distribution of both sandgrouse species , ( 2 ) determine the most important anthropogenic predictors for each species occurrence , and ( 3 ) identify areas where conservation efforts should be prioritized . abiotic and anthropogenic factors explained most of the variation in sandgrouse distributions . both species were associated with arid flatlands , arable land cover being the most important anthropogenic variable determining their distribution . the common agricultural policy ( cap ) is the main driver of agricultural management in europe , and may thus have a direct effect on sandgrouse distributions .
benítez - lópez , a . 2014 . ecology and conservation of iberian sandgrouse : a multiscalar approach - ecología y conservación de pteróclidos ibéricos : una aproximación multiescalar . phd dissertation . university of castilla - la mancha , uclm , spain .
benítez - lópez a , viñuela j , hervás i et al ( 2014 ) modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation . environ conserv 41 : 132–143 . doi :
although perhaps rather plain in appearance , the plumage of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse ( pterocles exustus ) is in fact wonderful camouflage against the sand of its arid habitats . a somewhat small , plump bird , the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse has an unmarked head , dark under - wings , a blackish lower - belly , and a chestnut upper - belly , after which it is named . the dark - tipped bill is slate - blue , and there is a pale green circle around the eyes . the male chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is somewhat drabber than the female , with a pale brown back and a narrow chest band , compared to the female’s more elaborate , mottled back of tan , brown and dark brown . the juvenile lacks the elongated tail feathers of the adult bird , and has more densely barred upperparts . six subspecies of the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse are currently recognised , and these vary mainly in the colouration of the upperparts ( 2 ) .
sandgrouse probably evolved in the arid zone of north africa and the middle east , spreading to southern africa and central asia . they are more closely associated with the afro - asian deserts than any other family of birds . the 14 species of the genus pterocles retain a rudimentary hind toe ; this toe has been lost in the two species of syrrhaptes that are likely to be more recent offshoots of the ancestral sandgrouse stock . four species of sandgrouse ( lichtenstein ' s , double - banded , four - banded , and painted ) share the habit of crepuscular or nocturnal drinking and may constitute a separate genus ( or at least a subgenus ) nyctiperdix on the basis of this and the possession of a strongly barred abdomen in both sexes .
maclean , g . l . , and c . h . fry .
pteroclidae , sandgrouse .
in the birds of africa , vol . 2 . , edited by emil k . urban , et al . london : academic press , 1986 .
) is estimated to be around 170000 to 250000 individual birds . the overall population size is considered to be stable . the modern agricultural practices are degrading the habitat of these sandgrouse species and threaten their survival . their generation length is 5 . 6 years .
the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse inhabits a range of environments , including shrubland , semi - desert scattered with thorny shrubs or trees , arable land and grassland ( 1 ) ( 2 ) , up to altitudes of 1 , 500 metres ( 1 ) ( 3 ) .
sandgrouse feed almost exclusively on small seeds picked up from the surface of the soil ; the birds also use their bills to flick loose sand sideways to uncover buried seed . because of the dry diet , they must drink often , especially in hot weather when drinking may occur daily . most species drink an hour or two after sunrise , but some drink only at dusk or at night . sandgrouse drink by dipping the bill , sucking a draft of water , and raising the head to swallow , taking several drafts at each bout of drinking .
lloyd , penn , et al .
the population dynamics of the namaqua sandgrouse : implications for gamebird management in an arid , stochastic environment .
proceedings of the 22nd international ornithological congress , durban , south africa . compact disk . johannesburg : birdlife south africa , 1999 .
depending on the location of feeding areas . all species are gregarious , except when breeding : flocks may number hundreds or thousands of birds . they call to each other in flight and sometimes when flocking on the ground . adaptations of sandgrouse to arid zones include : seeking shade in hot conditions , flying and feeding in the cooler hours of the day , insulation against overheating by dense plumage , and huddling together under extreme conditions . some species of sandgrouse also may limit their frequency of drinking to conserve energy , though this may not be possible in hot conditions .
benítez - lópez , a . , viñuela , j . , suárez , f . , hervás , i . & garcía , j . t . 2014 . niche - habitat mechanisms and biotic interactions explain the coexistence and abundance of congeneric sandgrouse species . oecologia 176 , 193 - 206 .
sandgrouse are stocky terrestrial birds with dense , beautifully camouflaged plumage . they are covered with an underdown even between the main feather tracts . their lower legs are feathered in front in the genus pterocles , whereas the whole lower leg and the toes are feathered in syrrhaptes , possibly as an adaptation to cold climates . despite their short legs , sandgrouse walk and run well . the nostrils of all species are covered with fine feathers . their wings are long and pointed , giving them exceptional powers of flight . the sexes differ markedly in plumage pattern , the females being more cryptically colored than the males .
feathers at a drinking place and flies back to the chicks , which take the water from his plumage . this method of providing the chicks with water is unique among birds . sandgrouse young fly at about four to five weeks , after which they accompany their parents on flights to the watering hole .
casas , fabián benítez - lópez , ana garcía , jesús t . martín , carlos a . viñuela , javier mougeot , francois and marsden , stuart 2015 . assessing the short - term effects of capture , handling and tagging of sandgrouse . ibis , vol . 157 , issue . 1 , p . 115 .
casas , f . , benítez - lópez , a . , garcía , j . t . , martín , c . a . , viñuela , j . & mougeot , f . 2015 . assessing the short - term effects of capture , handling and tagging of sandgrouse . ibis 157 , 115 - 124 .
benítez - lópez , a . , viñuela , j . , hervás , i . , suárez , f . & garcía , j . t . 2014 . modelling sandgrouse ( pterocles spp . ) distributions and large - scale habitat requirements in spain : implications for conservation . environmental conservation 41 : 132 - 143 .
mougeot , f . , benítez - lópez , a . , casas , f . , garcía , j . t . & viñuela , j . 2014 . a temperature - based monitoring of nest attendance patterns and disturbance effects during incubation by ground - nesting sandgrouse . journal of arid environments 102 , 89 - 97 .
when a predator is detected , rather than fleeing and risk giving away its location , the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse sits still and relies on its wonderfully camouflaged plumage to conceal itself . it tends to live in small , scattered groups to reduce its visibility except for times when it gathers in often large numbers around watering holes ( 4 ) .
something strikes me as i write ; the sluice was opened up and freshwater was allowed to flow just as the bird arrived . sandgrouse are generally noted for visiting water in the early morning , late evening or nocturnally . this occurred close to midday . i wonder if the sluice is opened at the same time each day and she timed her arrival . another thought ; the tide had just turned . was the sluice closed to prevent salt water flowing upstream ? if so the sluice would be operational at a different time each day depending on the time that the tide receded below the sluice gate . what do desert - dwelling sandgrouse know of tides , i wonder ? this is simply musing unless anyone knows any better ?
the timing of breeding in the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse is heavily influenced by the level of local rainfall , but generally occurs sometime between january and july , except in kenya and tanzania where the breeding season is more lengthy , ranging from february until november ( 2 ) . the chestnut - bellied sandgrouse may produce two clutches a year , the nest being a simple scrape in the ground , holding three eggs per clutch ( 4 ) , with both the male and female birds incubating the eggs ( 5 ) . the chicks are active from hatching , soon foraging for food with the adult birds ( 4 ) , but are unable to fly large distances and so must rely on the adults for water . at a water hole , the adult birds soak up water in the breast feathers before returning to the nest to “water” the chicks - a unique feature of the sandgrouse family . adult birds can fly distances of up to 16 kilometres per day to find water , gathering in large flocks to drink a couple of hours after sunrise , and on very hot days at sundown ( 6 ) .
these sandgrouse species are sexually dimorphic . the males are larger than the females and have brighter plumage in the breeding season . the males weigh 250 to 400 grams whereas the females weigh 200 to 370 grams . the wingspan is 55 to 65 cm . the central rectrices ( central tail streamers ) are long , stiff and pointed . the central rectrices are longer in males .
benítez - lópez , a . , mougeot , f . , martín , c . a . , casas , f . , calero - riestra , m . , garcía , j . t . & viñuela , j . 2011 . an improved night - lighting technique for the selective capture of sandgrouse and other steppe birds . european journal of wildlife research 57 , 389 - 393 .
; the latter species tolerates warmer climates . consequently , the network of core and marginally suitable areas identified for each species differs , and connectivity between the populations of these areas seems unlikely . potential future changes in sandgrouse distribution will probably be directed principally by the synergistic effects of climate change and expected land - use transformations resulting from the new cap and ongoing population growth , urbanization and infrastructure development .
sandgrouse will often arrive at a waterhole in large groups that form en - route . in company , there would be many eyes to keep watch for the local greater spotted eagles and other predators . they can drink their fill quickly by tipping their heads back , allowing the water to flow into their crops , but on her own she had to keep returning to the top of the bank between sips to maintain a look - out .
about 9 . 8 in ( 25 cm ) ; 6 . 2–8 . 8 oz ( 175–250 g ) . smallish , without elongated , central tail feathers . both sexes strongly barred black on buff above and below ; male distinguished by black - and - white forehead pattern , yellow bill , and two broad breast - bands of buff , each bordered black below . downy chick , unusual in being almost plain brown ; other sandgrouse chicks boldly patterned above .
sandgrouse are famed for having breast feathers that can absorb water which is carried back to chicks in their waterless habitat . they are noted for flying many miles to a freshwater source to provide water for their young . in keeping with most of the species in the genera , it is only the male that carries water . he will take over parenting duties while the female fends for herself . so it was with a sense of something missing that i watched her take a drink .
black - bellied sandgrouse – this species dominated hilly habitats within the central negev mountains , nizzana area , the northern negev and judean desert . while historic peak numbers at a drinking pool at nizzana exceeded 2000 birds , current numbers struggle to reach 300 at most within the same region . in other parts of the negev there has been no big change in distribution though numbers have diminished . at a local level , the species has disappeared from specific locations where it was once regular .
gregarious in flocks of up to about 60 , but birds congregate to drink at watering sites in flocks of several hundred about two hours after sunrise . some birds may drink again in evening . birds call to each other with a bubbling sound . in egypt , may gather with flocks of crowned sandgrouse ( pterocles coronatus ) to feed on grain spilled by trucks traveling from nile to red sea ports . nonbreeding flocks roost on ground in open desert , each bird making a shallow scrape .
long central rectrices , underwing and belly white . 30 = 39 cm , 210 - 400 g , wingspan 55 - 65 cm . broad chestnut band on breast , bordered with black lines . bill bluish grey - horn , orbital ring blue . female duller , and has additional black line on neck . exceptionally among sandgrouse , a non - breeding plumage exists in male , showing white throat , black eyestripe reduced or absent , and dorsal parts barred , without yellow spots . race caudacutus paler , with longer wings .
my base is the cheap and cheerful , self catering top motel in istres . i find this arrangement ideal because french breakfasts aren’t worth their cost and evening meals also become more affordable . then there is the essential of tea and coffee whenever i want one , that isn’t possible in a budget chain hotel unless a kettle is smuggled in . oh , and this establishment in a secure compound behind the 3 - star ariane hotel is also hard by the plaine de la crau sandgrouse site , and conveniently placed to visit birding sites in les alpilles and la camargue .
sandgrouse are monogamous , solitary nesters , though nests may be fairly close together , giving the appearance of a loose colony . the nest is a shallow scrape , often under a plant , but also in the open ; it is usually lined with fragments of soil , stone , or plants . clutches usually contain three rather elongated , spotted eggs . each clutch is incubated by the female during the day and by the male at night , at least in those species which have been studied . the chicks hatch after about 21–31 days , depending on the species . they feed themselves but are given water by the male parent , which soaks his belly
about 15 in ( 39 cm ) ; female 10 . 6–16 . 4 oz ( 300–465 g ) , male 14 . 1–19 . 4 oz ( 400–550 g ) . largest sandgrouse ; robustly built , without elongated , central tail feathers . male rust - colored buff above , mottled grayish on back and wings ; throat a bright rusty color with triangular black patch ; breast gray , bordered with narrow , black band and broad , pinkish band ; belly black . female similar to male but less strongly tinged rust coloring ; lacks rust coloring and black on throat ; breast spotted black ; narrow black collar on throat and below breast . underwing white in both sexes .
mainly on lowland plains , including baked mud on dried - out marshes by tidal water on spanish marismas , stony hammada on desert edge , and bare clay expanses alternating with sand , as well as dusty or sunbaked flats and sand - dunes . often on infertile areas of dry cultivation , or near irrigation ditches . inhabits areas of scattered tamarisk and other bushes , but avoids trees and scrubland , and rocky broken terrain . like other sandgrouse , unable to exist far from water , essential not only for adults but for carrying in soaked belly feathers to chicks , in regular social flights . will drink brackish water in absence of fresh , and will not only wade but alight on river far from shore , floating high like gull and taking off without difficulty .
peau de meau has a 5km waymarked trail around it’s perimeter , but first i set off in the car along a rough track for some distance beyond the reserve . after all i had been wanting to do that for the past three years and there was nobody there to stop me . seeing only pipits , skylarks and corvids i returned to walk the full distance of the trail , but still no sandgrouse . so i applied my usual solution to a no show , deciding to return early the next day . but first i took another drive through the rough roads of la crau eventually reaching the n508 road that runs north - west between the plaine and the neighbouring camargue . guess what ? at track’s end was a roadside notice proclaiming access to this military land is prohibited . oh well !