C. gambianus Skull Replica measures 3 inches. C. gambianus Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw). Known as Gambian Pouched Rat. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.
The Gambian Pouched Rat or C. gambianus is native to sub-Saharan Africa, these large rats range from 14-18 in.
Unlike domestic rats, it has cheek pouches like a hamster. These cheek pouches allow it to gather up several kilograms of nuts per night for storage underground.
The C. gambianus are omnivores and feed on a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even insects when available. Some common foods include crab, cassava, beans, sweet potatoes, and other roots. Termites have been known to be eaten along with snails.
The C. gambianus burrow consists of a long passage with side alleys and several chambers, one for sleeping and the others for storage.
It has up to four litters every nine months, with up to six offspring in each litter. Males are territorial and tend to be aggressive when they encounter one another.
C. gambianus young are born hairless, with eyes and ears closed. The characteristic long tail does not show substantial growth until about 30 to 35 days. The eyes do not open until about 21 days into development, although the young are completely covered with fur and have open ears at about 14 days.
The female provides the most parental care, both as a source of warmth for the naked young and as a source of milk. The female also changes her food before the young are weaned, choosing softer foods.
The male, on the other hand, shows almost no care to the young. It shows tolerance at best, and will sometimes kill it’s young and eat them. This is not seen as often in females.
A form of altruism exists amongst females, where a female with a separate litter may take care of a motherless litter.
The C. gambianus has very poor eyesight and so depends on its senses of smell and hearing. Its name comes from the large, hamster-like pouches in its cheeks. It is not a true rat but is part of an African branch of muroid rodents.
C. gambianus has typically weighs between 2.2 and 3.1 lb. In its native Africa, the pouched rat lives in colonies of up to twenty, usually in forests and thickets, but also commonly in termite mounds.
Gambian rats are very good climbers and swimmers, and climb in excess of 2 meters easily. Both sexes are very territorial. Although C. gambianus are generally solitary in the wild, females often form large groups containing many mothers and their litters while males usually remain solitary.
The Gambian pouched rat is sometimes kept as a pet, but some have escaped from captivity and they have become an invasive species in Florida.
