Southern Giant Pouched Rat

The southern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is distributed in the savannah of East and Southern Africa. == Synonyms == A large number of synonyms have been noted for this species. They include: Cricetomys adventor Thomas and Wroughton, 1907 Cricetomys cosensi Hinton, 1919 Cricetomys cunctator Thomas and Wroughton, 1908 Cricetomys elgonis Thomas, 1910 Cricetomys enguvi Heller, 1912 Cricetomys haagneri Roberts, 1926 Cricetomys kenyensis Osgood, 1910 Cricetomys luteus Dollman, 1911 Cricetomys microtis Lönnberg, 1917 Cricetomys osgoodi Heller, 1912 Cricetomys raineyi Heller, 1912 Cricetomys selindensis Roberts, 1946 Cricetomys vaughanjonesi St. Leger, 1937 Cricetomys viator Thomas, 1904 == Distribution == The southern giant pouched rat is widely distributed in mainly tropical regions of southern Africa, notably Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. == Description == The southern giant pouched rat is a large rodent, with males larger than females. Adult males typically weigh 1.5 to 2.0 kg (3.3 to 4.4 lb), while females weigh 1.2 to 1.6 kg (2.6 to 3.5 lb). The pouches for which these rats are named consist of oversized cheek-pouches, which they often use to transport large food-finds back to their burrows for storage. From…