whats is a African pouched rat?

Shop with us on Ebay
Fins us on Amazon
Advertise with us
The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
A

AlexandraBoo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
746
Location
Moncton, new brunswick
What is a pouched rat?

Is it close to a norway rat?

Is it the same?


They look almost the same!

pouchedrat.jpg
 
AlexandraBoo said:
What is a pouched rat?

Is it close to a norway rat?

Is it the same?


They look almost the same!

pouchedrat.jpg
Click to expand...

it does not appear to be in any way related to the norway rat Alexandra.

According to the attached link, it is of african descent and gets it's name from the cheek pouches it has which are similar to those of a hamster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambian_pouch_rat
 
You really have to work at socializing these guys, as they aren't all that friendly or enjoy being "pets".

There was a member on another forum, she had one and he was the sweetest little guy.
 
They look somewhat the same as a norway rat. I was watching a youtube video of it pooping in the toilet, and walking on 2 back legs, it lookd soo cute.

Kinda creepy though. he had huge alien ears, like a mutated rat:?
 
They are not domesticated, they are wild animals, and they come with their own challenges.
Although many people have enjoyed having them as companions, they are tough to socialize and tame. Many people have found that they can be extremely aggressive and have made the comment that neutering is not an option but a neccessity with them.
Plus, being a fairly large animal they pack a dangerous bite. I can see people neglecting them out of fear because they find that they cannot handle them when they reach maturity and are not altered.
If tamed early enough people have found them to be good companions, but you can't lose sight of the fact that they are still wild animals and are not domesticated like our rats are - there is a high level of unpredictability (not sure if that is a word, but you get the gist) to their nature. They are probably more like prairie dogs in the tameness department - not unable to become tame, but still challenging to do so.
I think there has been a considerable drop in their status in the pet trade, like prairie dogs as well, due to the monkey pox scare and the fact that people got more than they bargained with them. I consider that a good thing.
 
I have had contact with one, Debbie Ducommun "The Rat Lady" had a Gambian (African Pouched rat) Her name was Medussa. I was so intimidated by her! She was awesoome and beautiful, and when she licked my hand the size of the tounge that came out of her mouth made me imagine what size those teeth must be! We were given peanuts to give to her, she managed to stuff 9 peanuts in each of her pouches. When we finally said our good byes and walked out of the room, she gave this most increadable screech that sent shivers up the back of my neck. She was not too pleased to not have company. When we were in there, we saw what damage she had done to prior cages and accessories, they can chew thru anything. If I can find the pictures I will, but they are the size of a small cat and demand a lot of attention. Like everyone else has said, they are a challenge to keep and not that very popular anymore since the monkey pox thing.

There was a member on another forum, she had one and he was the sweetest little guy.
Click to expand...

I remember this one, it was so sad to hear of his passing. He was a sweety.
 
Yah they are beautiful animals, but they are not truly domesticated yet. Dragon Tamer over on goosemoose had Matisse, who was one of a kind. She had a special cage for him and he required lots of attention and specifics for keeping him occupied.

Sadly, they are no longer legal in that states.
 
There is a Belgian man (Bart Weetjens) who works with them in Tanzania-Africa, they are trained to smell landmines and TBC-disease, the landmines do not explode because the rats do not weigh enough. He has a lot of experience and gets them really tame, he exports them to other anti-landmine-teams around the world, where they get their own special human partner, just like rescue dogs.

http://www.wereldomroep.nl/images/assets/12271413
http://www.wereldomroep.nl/images/assets/12271367
http://www.wereldomroep.nl/images/assets/12271393
 
Maybe he thought that the rat could help him sniff out some of those weapons of mass destruction that he was going on about?
 
Vanessa said:
Maybe he thought that the rat could help him sniff out some of those weapons of mass destruction that he was going on about?
Click to expand...

that is one of the funiest things ive ever read :lol:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top