Giant pouched rat
Encyclopedia
The giant pouched rats (genus Cricetomys) of sub-Saharan Africa
are large muroid rodents. Their head and body length ranges from 25–45 cm (9–18 in) with scaly tails ranging from 36–46 cm (14–18 in). They weigh between 1–1.5 kg.
s, but are instead part of an ancient radiation of African and Malagasy
muroids in the family Nesomyidae
. They are named due to their large cheek pouches.
It has been suggested that females may be capable of producing up to 10 litters yearly. Gestation is 27–36 days. One to five young are born at time. Females have eight nipples.
The animals are nocturnal
. They are omnivorous
and feed on vegetation and invertebrates. They have a particular taste for palm nut
s. They are coprophagous.
They can become tame and are kept as pet
s. They are also an important food source in many African countries.
These rats are also becoming useful in some areas for detecting land mine
s, as their acute sense of smell is very effective in detecting explosives, and they are light enough to not detonate any of the mines. The rats are being trained by APOPO
, a non-profit social venture based in Tanzania.
The procedure for training rats to detect land mines was conceived of and developed by Bart Weetjens of the Netherlands. Training starts at four weeks of age when the rats are handled to accustom them to humans and exposed to a variety of sights and sounds. They learn to associate a clicker with a food reward of banana or banana-peanut paste. They are then trained to indicate a hole with TNT in it by nosing it for five seconds. Then they learn to find the correct hole in a line of holes. Finally, the rat is trained to wear a harness and practises outdoors on a lead, finding inactivated mines under soil. At the end of their training they are tested: they must find all the mines in an area of 400 square metres that has been seeded with inactivated mines. It's a blind test: their handlers do not know where the mines are. If they succeed, they are certified as bomb-sniffing rats. It is cheaper to train a rat than a dog an cheaper to find land mines using rats.
APOPO is also training the rats to detect tuberculosis
by sniffing sputum samples; the rats can test many more samples than a scientist using more traditional methods—hundreds in a day vs. 30 or 40. Land mine and tuberculosis sniffing rats are called HeroRAT
s.
was a giant pouched rat.
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...
are large muroid rodents. Their head and body length ranges from 25–45 cm (9–18 in) with scaly tails ranging from 36–46 cm (14–18 in). They weigh between 1–1.5 kg.
Natural history
Giant pouched rats are only distantly related to the true ratRat
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...
s, but are instead part of an ancient radiation of African and Malagasy
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
muroids in the family Nesomyidae
Nesomyidae
Nesomyidae is a family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar...
. They are named due to their large cheek pouches.
It has been suggested that females may be capable of producing up to 10 litters yearly. Gestation is 27–36 days. One to five young are born at time. Females have eight nipples.
The animals are nocturnal
Nocturnal animal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal"....
. They are omnivorous
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
and feed on vegetation and invertebrates. They have a particular taste for palm nut
Palm nut
Palm nut can refer to:*The fruit of the oil palm tree*The fruit or seed of any palm tree...
s. They are coprophagous.
They can become tame and are kept as pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
s. They are also an important food source in many African countries.
Ability to detect land mines and tuberculosis by scent
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
s, as their acute sense of smell is very effective in detecting explosives, and they are light enough to not detonate any of the mines. The rats are being trained by APOPO
APOPO
APOPO, an acronym for Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende ProductOntwikkeling , is a registered Belgian NGO which trains African giant pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis. APOPO's mission is to develop detection rats technology to provide solutions for global problems and inspire positive...
, a non-profit social venture based in Tanzania.
The procedure for training rats to detect land mines was conceived of and developed by Bart Weetjens of the Netherlands. Training starts at four weeks of age when the rats are handled to accustom them to humans and exposed to a variety of sights and sounds. They learn to associate a clicker with a food reward of banana or banana-peanut paste. They are then trained to indicate a hole with TNT in it by nosing it for five seconds. Then they learn to find the correct hole in a line of holes. Finally, the rat is trained to wear a harness and practises outdoors on a lead, finding inactivated mines under soil. At the end of their training they are tested: they must find all the mines in an area of 400 square metres that has been seeded with inactivated mines. It's a blind test: their handlers do not know where the mines are. If they succeed, they are certified as bomb-sniffing rats. It is cheaper to train a rat than a dog an cheaper to find land mines using rats.
APOPO is also training the rats to detect tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
by sniffing sputum samples; the rats can test many more samples than a scientist using more traditional methods—hundreds in a day vs. 30 or 40. Land mine and tuberculosis sniffing rats are called HeroRAT
HeroRAT
APOPO, an acronym for Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende ProductOntwikkeling , is a registered Belgian NGO which trains African giant pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis. APOPO's mission is to develop detection rats technology to provide solutions for global problems and inspire positive...
s.
Species
Genus Cricetomys - Giant pouched rats
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In Pop Culture
Ben in the 2003 remake of WillardWillard (2003 film)
Willard is a 2003 horror film loosely based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert and a remake of the 1971 film of the same name...
was a giant pouched rat.