Emin's pouched rat

Emin's pouched rat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Nesomyidae
Subfamily: Cricetomyinae
Genus: Cricetomys
Species: C. emini
Binomial name
Cricetomys emini
Wroughton, 1910

Emin's pouched rat (Cricetomys emini), 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 are sometimes kept as pets, but males can be territorial to others of the same species.

References

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