Cane rat
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
Cane rats Temporal range:
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A man with a greater cane rat ( Thryonomys swinderianus )
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Suborder: | Hystricomorpha |
Infraorder: | Hystricognathi |
Parvorder: | Phiomorpha |
Family: | Thryonomyidae |
Genus: | Thryonomys Fitzinger, 1867 |
Type species | |
Aulacodus swinderianus | |
Species | |
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Reconstructed range of Thryonomys gregorianus (orange) and Thryonomys swinderianus (red), with overlapping ranges in stripe pattern. |
The genus Thryonomys, also known as the cane rats or grasscutters, is a genus of rodent found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the only members of the family Thryonomyidae.[1] They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest species on many crops.[2] The family name comes from the Greek word thryon, meaning a "rush" or "reed" and mys meaning "mouse".
Characteristics
Cane rats range in body length from 35–60 centimetres. They attain weights of around 3-6kg and in some cases up to 10kg. They are heavily built rodents, with bristly brown fur speckled with yellow or grey. They live in marshy areas and along river and lake banks, and are herbivores, feeding on aquatic grasses in the wild. In agricultural areas they will – as the name suggests – feed on sugarcane in plantations, making them a significant crop pest.[3]
Females give birth to litters of 2–4 young at least once a year, and more frequently in some areas.[3] Cane rats are sexually mature and able to reproduce at 6 months of age.
Relationship with humans
Cane rats are widely distributed and farmers expend substantial energy fencing the rodents out of their fields, but they are also valued as a source of "bushmeat" in West and Central Africa. Like the guinea pig, their meat is of a higher protein but lower fat content than conventional livestock; it is also appreciated for its tenderness and taste.
In the
Cane rats are not the most prolific of rodent species, but the high demand, attractive market price, and the small amount of investment required makes cane rats a suitable mini-livestock activity for income generation in many parts of West and Central Africa.
Conservation status
There are areas where they have been over-hunted, and savanna habitat is often at risk during the dry season from
References
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b Gruber, Karl (2015-12-07). "While rats are met with revulsion in most parts of the world, some communities put rodents pride of place on the dinner menu". BBC. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
- ^ ISBN 0-87196-871-1– via Archive.org.
- Mathews, Jaman (January–February 2008). "The value of grasscutters". World Ark. pp. 23–24.
External links
- ""grasscutter" rearing in Ghana". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation.