Cricetomys emini Wroughton 1910
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Nesomyidae
Cricetomys
Cricetomys emini

description: 36. Forest Giant Pouched Rat <i>Cricetomys emini</i> <b>French:</b> Cricétome d'Emin / <b>German:</b> Emin-Riesenhamsterratte / <b>Spanish:</b> Rata de abazones gigante de bosque <b>Other common names:</b> Emin’s Giant Pouched Rat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Cricetomys gambianus emini Wroughton, 1910, “ Gadda, Monbattu,” DR Congo. Taxonomy of C. emini is currently in flux because it represents a species complex. Recent molecular studies have shown presence of at least three, if not four, different species, which are morphologically assignable to C. emini. Further studies are required to sort out taxonomic implications. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Tropical Africa extending continuously from Sierra Leone E to Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, and S to Gabon, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, and Angola; it also occurs on Bioko. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head—body 300-355 mm, tail 320-429 mm, ear 33-45 mm, hindfoot 64-71 mm; weight 0-5—1-3 kg. The Forest Giant Pouched Rat is a very large muroidrat, with well-developed cheek pouches. Furis relatively short and soft for a species of Cricetomys, bright brown to dark brown dorsally, which is clearly delineated from white or cream venter. Snout is long and pointed. There is no dark ring around eyes,as is typical in other species of Cricetomys. Ears are relatively long. Tailis slightly longer than head-body length, with terminal one-half conspicuously white compared with dark proximal onehalf. Limbs are relatively short, with four digits on forefeet and five digits on hindfeet. <b>Habitat.</b> Wide range of forest habitats. The Forest Giant Pouched Ratis often commensal with humans at forest edges, butit is replaced by the Northern Giant Pouched Rat (C. gambianus) or the Southern Giant Pouched Rat (C. ansorgei) in large forest clearings. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Forest Giant Pouched Rat mostly eats fruits, palm nuts, and seeds, which may be cached in a burrow. <b>Breeding.</b> Litter of Forest Giant Pouched Rats are 2—4 young, and gestation is 42 days. They may survive over four years in captivity. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Forest Giant Pouched Rat is nocturnal and terrestrial but may also climb. It excavates a burrow where it rests during the day. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Forest Giant Pouched Rats are typically solitary, with one individual in each burrow system. A single study reported densities of 134 ind/km?. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Forest Giant Pouched Rat is hunted extensively for food over much of its distribution. Despitethis pressure,it does not appear to have a contracted distribution or reduced population. <b>Bibliography.</b> Fa &amp; Purvis (1997), Malcolm &amp; Ray (2000), Monadjem et al. (2015), Olayemi et al. (2012), Ray (2013), Rosevear (1969).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Nesomyidae, pp. 156-203 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on pages 195-196, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6600357