Southern Giant Pouched Rat
Encyclopedia
The Southern Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) is a species
of rodent
in the Nesomyidae
family. It is distributed throughout southern Africa
, notably Zimbabwe
, Kenya
, Tanzania
, Zambia
, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
in the 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...
family. It is distributed throughout southern 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...
, notably Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Synonyms
A large number of synonyms have been noted for this species. They include:- Cricetomys adventor Thomas and Wroughton, 1907
- Cricetomys cosensi Hinton, 1919
- Cricetomys cunctator Thomas and Wroughton, 1908
- Cricetomys elgonis Thomas, 1910
- Cricetomys enguvi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys haagneri Roberts, 1926
- Cricetomys kenyensis Osgood, 1910
- Cricetomys luteus Dollman, 1911
- Cricetomys microtis Lönnberg, 1917
- Cricetomys osgoodi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys raineyi Heller, 1912
- Cricetomys selindensis Roberts, 1946
- Cricetomys vaughanjonesi St. Leger, 1937
- Cricetomys viator Thomas, 1904
Further reading
- Kingdon, J. 1984. East African mammals: An atlas of evolution in Africa. (Hares and Rodents). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2B:550-554.
- Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon field guide to African mammals, AP Natural World Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, p. 199-200.
- Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2:1344-1346, 1495-1496.
- Swynnerton, G. H., and R. W. Hayman. 1951. A checklist of the land mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society, 20(6):274-392.