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Greater cane rats can measure in head-and-body length from 43 to 60 cm (17 to 24 in) with the tail measuring 16 to 19.5 cm (6.3 to 7.7 in). Typical weight is 3.2 to 5.2 kg (7.1 to 11.5 lb), in males averaging some 4.5 kg (9.9 lb), and females at 3.4 to
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Cane rats live in small groups led by a single male. They are nocturnal and make nests from grasses or burrow underground. Individuals of the species may live in excess of four years. If frightened, they grunt and run towards water.
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3.8 kg (7.5 to 8.4 lb). In some cases, greater cane rats can weigh to approximately 7 to 9 kg (15 to 20 lb). They are considered one of the largest rodents in Africa, behind only the
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255:. Although one of the largest rodents in Africa and one of the largest species commonly called a "rat", it is not closely related to typical
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275:. It has rounded ears, a short nose, and coarse bristly hair. Its forefeet are smaller than its hind feet, each with three toes.
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As humans expanded into the cane rat's native habitats, the cane rats likewise expanded from their native reeds into the
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micro-livestock Micro-livestock: Appropedia - Little-known Small
Animals with a Promising Economic Future 7
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Mustapha, O.A.; Teriba, E.E.; Ezekiel, O.S.; Olude, A.M.; Akinloye, A.K.; Olopade, J.O. (2020).
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567:"The New Livestock: Rodents of Unusual Size in Heifer Projects in Ghana" in
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Mammal
Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference
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393:(3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1545.
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and other regions of West Africa), is one of two species of
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A male greater cane rat in captive breeding program in
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235:rodents. It lives by reed-beds and riverbanks in
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379:Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005).
887:Taxa named by Coenraad Jacob Temminck
521:. Penguin Random House South Africa.
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852:IUCN Red List least concern species
519:Smithers Mammals of Southern Africa
344:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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440:10.1080/15627020.2007.11407393
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231:, a small family of African
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381:"Infraorder Hystricognathi"
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422:van der Merwe, M. (2007).
882:Mammals described in 1827
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70:Scientific classification
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517:Smithers, R. H. (2012).
288:Interactions with humans
634:Thryonomys_swinderianus
620:Thryonomys swinderianus
590:Thryonomys swinderianus
337:Thryonomys swinderianus
212:Thryonomys swinderianus
179:Thryonomys swinderianus
867:Mammals of West Africa
387:; Reeder, D.M (eds.).
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857:Hystricognath rodents
824:Paleobiology Database
333:Hoffmann, M. (2008).
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161:T. swinderianus
40:Conservation status
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364:}}: old-form url (
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237:Sub-Saharan Africa
872:Mammals of Zambia
862:Rodents of Africa
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400:978-0-8018-8221-0
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707:iNaturalist
614:Wikispecies
294:plantations
243:Description
217:grasscutter
877:Thryonomys
846:Categories
354:2013-09-08
320:References
306:sugar-cane
273:porcupines
148:Thryonomys
569:World Ark
549:World Ark
487:2576-2095
448:1562-7020
362:cite iucn
279:Behaviour
229:cane rats
155:Species:
93:Kingdom:
87:Eukaryota
777:13400090
725:10594880
599:Wikidata
505:32318658
409:62265494
314:bushmeat
261:species.
187:Temminck
133:Family:
127:Rodentia
117:Mammalia
107:Chordata
103:Phylum:
97:Animalia
83:Domain:
60:IUCN 3.1
764:1001294
699:2437636
605:Q932685
496:7167232
310:cassava
269:Hystrix
225:Nigeria
189:, 1827)
143:Genus:
123:Order:
113:Class:
58: (
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738:584691
686:196540
673:326380
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258:Rattus
803:88079
790:10169
751:21847
720:IRMNG
712:46279
681:EUNIS
660:56N74
647:26231
383:. In
302:wheat
298:maize
253:Gabon
221:Ghana
785:NCBI
746:IUCN
733:ITIS
694:GBIF
642:BOLD
523:ISBN
501:PMID
483:ISSN
444:ISSN
405:OCLC
395:ISBN
366:help
349:2008
308:and
219:(in
205:The
772:MSW
759:MDD
668:EoL
655:CoL
629:ADW
491:PMC
475:doi
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