Great Cane Rat

Scientific name: Thryonomys swinderianus
Size: 50-75cm long including tail
Lifespan: 3-5 years
Natural range: throughout Africa south of the Sahara

Housing

• large multilevel ferret type cage
• females are social and should be housed in pairs
• males are territorial and should be housed individually
• Bedding: aspen or corn cob
• Accessories: nest box, wood chews, toys
• they are semi-aquatic and should also be able to play in shallow water at times

Food

• mixture of a high quality cavy pellet and rodent blocks
• allow free access to timothy hay
• offer sweet potato, large millet, fresh sugar cane or fresh veggies twice to three times weekly

Breeding

• Maturity: 1 year old
• Gestation: 155 days
• Litter size: 3-5
• young are born fully furred and with eyes open
• should be fully weaned by 4-5 weeks old