Weight Assessment of Some Accessory Digestive Organs in the Adult African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse-1840)

Abstract

The African giant pouched rat is a wild rodent of the Muridae family that is predominant in Africa, south of Sahara (Rosevear, 1969). They are adaptable to several environmental conditions including lowlands and highlands (Bigalke, 1964). The rats are widely distributed in all parts of Nigeria, where they are consumed as 'bushmeat'. The smoked carcasses of the rodent are often seen in village markets. Attempts have been made to breed and rear the rats in captivity, for food (Ajayi, 1975). For effective breeding and domestication, there is a need to quantify the digestive organs of the adult African giant pouched rat. This will give an insight into the efficiency of their digestive system, the knowledge of which may be employed in the breeding programmes, or as animal models for feed formulation and nutrient trials. This study was initiated based on the paucity of literature on the gross morphometry of accessory digestive organs in the adult African giant pouched rat. The study was aimed at determining the weights of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas in adult African giant pouched rats in both absolute and relative terms, and to compare the results with what has been reported in other rodents.