A Service Animal to be Proud of....

You might find it comforting to know the African giant pouched rat makes a helpful companion around the house. Below he or she is the one in the fur coat.

 

There should be a picture directly below. Let me know if it does not come through... 

 

 

If you prefer dogs as a pet the rat is considered easier to train.  They are being used to sniff out landmines. They have been taught if they would scratch the ground when they sniffed TNT they got a reward.

 

Some dogs can sniff out a pinhead of explosives in luggage and these beauties have more sensitive sniffers.

 

They have also been trained to sniff human saliva for tuberculosis and are being trained to sniff out earthquake victims buried in the rubble.

 

A little background:

 

The lifespan of the African Giant Pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) can be more than seven years in captivity. That is quite a difference from the two to three year lifespan of our domesticated pet rats. They are approximately 28 inches from nose to tail tip with an average weight of 3-1/2 to 4 pounds of solid muscle.

 

The gestation period of the African Giant Pouched rat is approximately 30 to 32 days. Litters may number from one to six, but the average litter is three or four. The young are born blind and naked as are our domestic rats. The eyes open at 21 to 23 days, and although they start to pouch small food items while their eyes are still closed, they begin to eat a lot of solid food once they're open. Weaning takes place at approximately six weeks of age and they do not get a full coat of hair until they are approximately ten weeks old.

Sexual maturity is reached at 20 weeks of age. A prolific couple who lives together can produce a litter every few months, but this is not healthy for the female. Finding a prolific couple is a problem, however, as it seems many females do not reproduce. In the last few years it has appeared it must only be the dominant female who reproduces. That means you need more than one. What luck..

The male can be left in with the female to help raise the babies, but there is a risk with some fathers of a baby being squished in the nest with both parents vying for position. If you choose to leave the father in with the family, you may be delighted to see how wonderful the family unit works together.

Regards,
John Jenkins

865-803-8179 cell

Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com 

Website: http://www.greenbriersolutions.com 
Blog: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/

Fibonacci: It's as easy as 1,2,3.