POUCHED RAT

any of several African rodents, belonging to the family Muridae (order Rodentia), characterized by cheek pouches in which their food is carried. Pouched rats belong to three genera, one of which, Beamys, is little known. The giant pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), the only member of its genus, is the largest, attaining a maximum length of about 75 centimetres (29 inches) including the long tail. A large-eared rodent with a rather long head, it is brown or gray-brown, with light underparts and white on the terminal half of its naked tail. It is vegetarian and lives in burrows in forests, fields, gardens, and thickets. A gentle animal, it is reputed to make a pleasing pet. It is also hunted for food. Pouched rats of the genus Saccostomus are thickset, short tailed, and about 10 to 15 cm long without the tail. Gray above and white below, they are plant-eating burrowers and are found from eastern to southern Africa, often in or near cultivated land.