Rats are of various species. Do you know one of the world’s largest rat species has spread terror in Florida, America, with their increasing population? According to reports, the Gambian Pouched Rat species is said to be one of the world’s largest rats. Many people in the world are fond of keeping such rats as pets. These rats are said to be trained to sniff out landmines. The Gambian Pouched Rat has very poor eyesight, so it mainly depends on its senses of smell and hearing to survive. Its name comes from the large, hamster-like pouches in its cheeks. It is often debated that it is not a rat in true sense, but is part of an African branch of muroid rodents. It normally weighs between 1.0 and 1.4 kg. The average size is 3 pounds, measuring 20-35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail.
They are an omnivore species that eats a variety of foods, including vegetables, insects, crabs, and snails, but loves palm fruits and kernels. Its cheek pouches allow it to gather up many kilograms of nuts every night and store them underground. It has been known to stuff its pouches so full of date palm nuts that it is hardly able to squeeze through the entrance of its burrow. The burrow consists of a long corridor with side alleyways and numerous rooms, one for sleeping and the rest for storage.
As per reports, the Gambian Pouched Rats have become an invasive species on Grassy Key in the Florida Keys after a private breeder allowed the animals to escape in the 1990s. Since 2007, Florida wildlife officials have attempted to eliminate it from Grassy Key, but it was still present as of 2014 and has been spotted close on Key Largo and in Marathon, Florida.
The Gambian Pouched Rats are also said to have caused the 2003 Midwest monkeypox outbreak in the United States by transferring the disease to prairie dogs acquired as pets.
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an order preventing the importation of the rodents following the first reported outbreak of monkeypox. Around 20 individuals were affected.
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