The Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), also commonly known as the African giant pouched rat, is a speciesofnocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys, in the family Nesomyidae. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about 0.9 m (3 ft) long, including the tail, which makes up half of its total length.[2] It is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from SenegaltoKenya and from AngolatoMozambique (although it is absent from much of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Emin's pouched rat is present) from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[1]
| Gambian pouched rat | |
|---|---|
| |
| A captive pet | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Nesomyidae |
| Genus: | Cricetomys |
| Species: |
C. gambianus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse, 1840 | |
The Gambian pouched rat is sometimes kept as a pet, but some have escaped from captivity and become an invasive speciesinFlorida.[3] In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now ban the importation of this species because it is blamed for the 2003 outbreakofmonkeypox.
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The Gambian pouched rat has very poor eyesight, so it depends on its senses of smell and hearing.[4] Its name comes from the large, hamster-like pouches in its cheeks. It is not a true rat, but is part of an African branch of muroid rodents. It typically weighs between 1.0 and 1.4 kg (2.2 and 3.1 lb).[2] In its native Africa, the pouched rat lives in colonies of up to 20, usually in forests and thickets, but also commonly in termite mounds. It is omnivorous, feeding on vegetables, insects, crabs, snails, and other items, but apparently prefers palm fruits and palm kernels.[citation needed]
It has cheek pouches like a hamster, which allow it to gather up several kilograms of nuts per night for storage underground. It has been known to stuff its pouches so full of date palm nuts so as to be hardly able to squeeze through the entrance of its burrow.[citation needed] The burrow consists of a long passage with side alleys and several chambers, one for sleeping and the others for storage. The Gambian pouched rat reaches sexual maturity at 5–7 months of age. It has up to four litters every nine months, with up to six offspring in each litter. Males are territorial and tend to be aggressive when they encounter one another.
ATanzanian social enterprise founded by two Belgians, APOPO ("Anti-Personnel Landmines Removal Product Development" in English), trains Gambian pouched rats to detect land mines and tuberculosis with their highly developed sense of smell. The trained pouched rats are called HeroRATS. The rats are far cheaper to train than mine-detecting dogs; a rat requires $7,300 for nine months of training, whereas a dog costs about $25,000 for training but lives about twice longer.[5][6]
In 2020, a Hero Rat named Magawa (2013–2022)[7] received a People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross, becoming the first rat to receive the award since the charity began honouring animals 77 years ago. Before retiring in 2021, Magawa detected 71 landmines and 38 items of unexploded ordnance, clearing over 2,421,880 sq ft (225,000 m2) of land in Cambodia, preventing many injuries and deaths, in his 5-year career.[8][9][10][11] Magawa died from natural causes at the age of 8 in 2022.[7]
The Gambian pouched rat is currently being used in experiments at Cornell University to investigate its usefulness in the detection of tuberculosis in human sputum samples.[12]
Gambian pouched rats have become an invasive speciesonGrassy Key in the Florida Keys,[13] after a private breeder allowed the animals to escape.[14] This outsized African rodent is also believed to be responsible for the 2003 Midwest monkeypox outbreak in the United States, after spreading it to prairie dogs that were purchased as pets. In 2003, the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an order preventing the importation of the rodents following the first reported outbreak of monkeypox. Around 20 individuals were affected.[15]
