Anatomical studies of the digestive system of the african giant rat

The African giant rat is a member of the Order: Rodentia, Subfamily: Cricetomyinae, and Genus: Cricetomys. This rat weighs upto 1200gms in adult and grows upto 38cm long with 45cm tail which has a characteristic white tip. They are omnivorous and are distributed in all parts of Nigeria and are incorrectly called rabbit or Nigerian rabbit. The rodent is often eaten by people and is considered a delicacy. Their smoked carcasses are often seen in village markets and attempts have been made to breed and rear the animal in captivity for food. The rodent has a good potential for use as a laboratory animal and has been shown to be a good host for the laboratory passage of Schistosoma mansoni and Trypanosoma evansi. Recently, the rodent has been used to detect tuberculosis patients and to sniff out landmines. The excessive and uncontrolled consumption of the animal poses a threat to the ultimate survival of this species and attempt has been made to study its biology and domestication. This book will provide an in depth feature of the digestive system of this rodent with a view to understanding it's feeding habits.