The Gambian pouched rat, also known as the African giant pouched rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about 0.9 metres (3 ft) long including their tail which makes up half their length. It is widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Gambian pouched rat has very poor eyesight and so depends on its senses of smell and hearing. Its name comes from the large, hamster-like pouches in its cheeks. It is not a true rat but is part of a uniquely African branch of muroid rodents. It typically weighs between 1 and 1.4 kilograms. It is omnivorous, feeding on vegetables, insects, crabs, snails, and other items.
Unlike domestic rats, it has cheek pouches like a hamster. These cheek pouches 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.
This outsized African rodent is also believed to be responsible for the current outbreak of monkeypox in the United States.
They are trained to detect land mines and tuberculosis with their highly developed sense of smell.
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