Emin giant hamster rat
| Emin giant hamster rat | ||||||||||||
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Giant Emin Hamster Rat ( Cricetomys emini ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Cricetomys emini | ||||||||||||
| Wroughton , 1910 |
The Emin giant hamster rat ( Cricetomys emini ) occurs in West and Central Africa from Sierra Leone in the west to Uganda , Rwanda and Burundi in the east, northern Angola in the south and on the island of Bioko .
features
The animals reach a head-trunk length of 30 to 33.5 cm, have a 32 to 45 cm long tail and reach a weight of 0.5 to 1.3 kg. The rear foot length is 6.4 to 7.1 cm. The fur is short and soft. The light to dark brown fur on the back is separated by a clear line from the whitish to cream-colored peritoneum. The snout is long and pointed. The cheek pouches are well developed. The ears are relatively long. Dark circles under the eyes, which are typical for other Cricetomys types, are missing. The legs are relatively short. The Emin hamster rat has four toes on its front paws and five on the back. The front half of the tail is darkly colored, the rear half white.
Habitat and way of life
The Emin giant hamster rat occurs in various forest habitats, is nocturnal and spends the day in a self-dug earthworks. It is predominantly ground-dwelling (terrestrial) but can also climb well. It feeds mainly on fruits, palm nuts and seeds. Food is also stowed away in the earthworks. Little is known about their reproductive biology. The females get two to four young animals per litter after a gestation period of about 42 days. Emin giant hamster rats lived to be four years old in human care.
Systematics
The Emin giant hamster rat was scientifically described for the first time in 1910 by the British zoologist Robert Charles Wroughton as a subspecies of the Gambian giant hamster rat ( Cricetomys gambianus ). Today it is considered an independent species. Molecular biological studies show, however, that three to four cryptic species are hidden under the name Cricetomys emini , which are morphologically indistinguishable but genetically different.
Danger
Since no endangerments are known for this species, it is widespread and also occurs in protected areas, the IUCN classifies this species as ( Least Concern ) harmless.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, Russell A. Mittermeier: Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 7, Lynx Edicions, 2017, ISBN 978-8416728046 , page 201.
- ↑ Cricetomys emini in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: van der Straeten, E. & Kerbis Peterhans, J., 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2014.