Gambian+Pouched+Rat

toc // Cricetomys gambianus // Order: Rodentia

=**__Husbandry Information__**=

Housing Requirements

 * At the Philadelphia Zoo, we use Ferret Nation cages for Gambian rats (three level). They are very active at night and need room to move around and exercise.

Notes on Enrichment & Training


=__Programmatic Information__=

Tips on Handling

 * Animals are not tractable unless handled from a very early age (<7 days old). There seems to be a window during this time you can tame a Gambian so it can be reliably handled. We worked with older animals and were not able to get them to be reliable for handling. One animal was 6 months and a second was 1 month. More progress was made with the 1 month old animal but it still requires an experienced handler and/or trainer. Not recommended unless you can work with very young animals or hand rear.

Potential Messaging


=__Acquisition Information__=

=__Comments from the Rating System__=

=__Natural History Information__=

Threats and Conservation Status
=__Did you know…__=

=__Photographs__=

=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * Philadelphia Zoo

//When adding a new page, remember to add tags!//
 * //Activity Schedule: diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular//
 * //Continent of Origin//
 * //Diet Requirements: carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, etc.//
 * //General Habitat/Biome: deserts, forests, mountains, etc.//