Natural History
Giant pouched rats are only distantly related to the true rats, but are instead part of an ancient variation of African and Malagasy muroids in the family Nesomyidae. They are named due to their large cheek pouches.
Females have been suggested to be capable of producing up to 10 litters yearly. Gestation is 27–36 days. One to five young are born at a 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 nuts. They are coprophagous.
They can become tame and are kept as pets. They are also an important food source in many African countries.
Read more about this topic: Giant Pouched Rat
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