Thryonomys swinderianus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	THRYONOMYIDAE

Scientific Name:

Thryonomys swinderianus

Species Authority:

(Temminck, 1827)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Greater Cane Rat

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Hoffmann, M.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, has a tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

History:

2004	–	Least Concern
1996	–	Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has been widely recorded over much of Subsaharan Africa. The distribution is patchy and discontinuous and they only occur where there is suitable habitat. The species is distributed from Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea in West Africa eastwards to the Central African Republic, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and southern Sudan, and from here into East Africa where it ranges from Uganda and Kenya southwards throughout much of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique into eastern South Africa (the Grahamstown district in the Eastern Cape province is the southerly limit [Skinner and Smithers 1990]). It has been recorded from 1,800 m asl on Kilimanjaro (Grimshaw et al. 1995)
Countries:	Native: Benin; Botswana; Burundi; Cameroon; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This is a fairly common species.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is typically found in association with reedbeds or in areas of dense, tall grass with thick reed or cane-like stems, typical of riverine and other similar habitats. They are seldom found far from water. Skinner and Smithers (1990) note that agricultural crops (such as maize, wheat, sugar-cane, groundnuts) have greatly improved the habitat for this species such that they have become an agricultural pest in some regions, and are often responsible for damaging cassava crops, and, in West Africa, oil palm plantations. It is predominantly nocturnal, with little known of their biology and ecology. Two litters of as many as twelve young are born annually.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is typically found in association with reedbeds or in areas of dense, tall grass with thick reed or cane-like stems, typical of riverine and other similar habitats. They are seldom found far from water. Skinner and Smithers (1990) note that agricultural crops (such as maize, wheat, sugar-cane, groundnuts) have greatly improved the habitat for this species such that they have become an agricultural pest in some regions, and are often responsible for damaging cassava crops, and, in West Africa, oil palm plantations. It is predominantly nocturnal, with little known of their biology and ecology. Two litters of as many as twelve young are born annually.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to this species. They are a favoured food item and commonly hunted with dogs in West Africa. This species is very common in bushmeat markets, and there have been numerous studies investigating the viability of farming this species to supply demands for protein in West and Central Africa. Jori et al. (1995) discuss the many economical, nutritional and environmental arguments for implementing rearing of this species in rural development programmes in Africa and methods to develop farming programmes. They are also a major agricultural pest, which has often led to control measures being applied to keep them out of plantations and fields.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to this species. They are a favoured food item and commonly hunted with dogs in West Africa. This species is very common in bushmeat markets, and there have been numerous studies investigating the viability of farming this species to supply demands for protein in West and Central Africa. Jori et al. (1995) discuss the many economical, nutritional and environmental arguments for implementing rearing of this species in rural development programmes in Africa and methods to develop farming programmes. They are also a major agricultural pest, which has often led to control measures being applied to keep them out of plantations and fields.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is present in a number of protected areas throughout the range..

Conservation Actions:

This species is present in a number of protected areas throughout the range..

Citation:	Hoffmann, M. 2008. Thryonomys swinderianus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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