Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse 1840
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 gambianus

description: 37. Northern Giant Pouched Rat <i>Cricetomys gambianus</i> <b>French:</b> Cricétome de Gambie / <b>German:</b> Gambia-Riesenhamsterratte / <b>Spanish:</b> Rata de abazones gigante septentrional <b>Other common names:</b> Gambian Giant Pouched Rat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse, 1840, Gambia River, The Gambia. This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Extending continuously from Senegal E to South Sudan and Uganda, and S to Congo River, DR Congo. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 284-386 mm, tail 247-405 mm, ear 35-40 mm, hindfoot 62-73 mm; weight 0.5-1.5 kg. The Northern Giant Pouched Rat is the largest muroid rat within its distribution and has well-developed cheek pouches. Fur is long and harsh to the touch, grayish or grayish brown dorsally, shading to white or cream ventrally. Snoutis long and pointed, with dark ring around eyes. Earsare relatively long. Tail is 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 savanna, woodlands, and forests. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Northern Giant Pouched Rat eats mostly fruits, seeds, and tubers, which may be cached in a burrow. Coprophagy appears to pass gut microbes from motherto offspring to assist with digestion. <b>Breeding.</b> Pregnant Northern Giant Pouched Rats are present throughout the year, suggesting aseasonal breeding. Average litter size is three young. Gestation is 27-42 days. Growth is rapid, with sexual maturity at ¢.20 weeks, and longevity is more than four years in captivity. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Northern Giant Pouched Rat is nocturnal and terrestrial, but it might also climb. It is often commensal with humans. It excavates burrows. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> The Northern Giant Pouched Ratis typically solitary, with one individual occupying a burrow system, but multiple individuals have been reported in a single burrow. Based on counts of burrows, densities can be high in prime habitat; 45 burrows were found on a 5ha farm in Nigeria. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Northern Giant Pouched Rat can damage crops and orchards and is therefore often persecuted. It is also hunted for food over much of its distribution. Despite these pressures, it does not appear to have a contracted distribution or reduced population. <b>Bibliography.</b> Ajayi (1975, 1977), Anizoba (1982), Duplantier &amp; Granjon (2013), Ewer (1967), Fa et al. (2005), Happold (1987), Monadjem etal. (2015), Olayemi et al. (2012), 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 page 196, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6600357