Cricetomys emini
Encyclopedia
Emin's Pouched Rat , also known as the African pouched rat, is a large "rat
" of the muroid superfamily. It is related to Cricetomys gambianus, the Gambian pouched rat.
They are native to Africa
and are found along the edges of forests and along the plains. Emin's rats are actually better climbers than their better known Gambian pouched rat cousins. These pouched rats are named for having cheek pouches much like a hamster
.
Emin's rat and the Gambian rat have a few very noticeable physical differences:
Both species were introduced into the exotic pet
trade. Unfortunately, many dealers and breeders failed to recognize the difference in the two species and some even tried breeding the two together. There have been reports of it being successful, and other reports of offspring dying at birth. Both species can make excellent pets, but males can be territorial to others of the same species.
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
" of the muroid superfamily. It is related to Cricetomys gambianus, the Gambian pouched rat.
They are native to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and are found along the edges of forests and along the plains. Emin's rats are actually better climbers than their better known Gambian pouched rat cousins. These pouched rats are named for having cheek pouches much like a hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
.
Emin's rat and the Gambian rat have a few very noticeable physical differences:
- Emin's rat has a distinct line of color difference between their lower abdomenAbdomenIn vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
area and upper body. The abdomen is a grey/white color whereas their upper body is a dark brown color. The tail has a white tip to it. Gambian rats are a greyish brown color that is fairly uniform throughout their body, only gradually getting lighter on their abdomen.
- Emin's rats are very sleek and muscular in appearance. They're quite slender looking, and are excellent climbers. Gambians are somewhat bulky, rough looking, and have been reported to be less "arboreal" than the emin's.
- Emin's rats tend to weigh less and be slightly smaller than the Gambian rat.
Both species were introduced into the exotic pet
Exotic pet
An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.The definition is an evolving one; some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy to no longer be considered exotic...
trade. Unfortunately, many dealers and breeders failed to recognize the difference in the two species and some even tried breeding the two together. There have been reports of it being successful, and other reports of offspring dying at birth. Both species can make excellent pets, but males can be territorial to others of the same species.