Giant Gambian Pouched Rats

June 12, 2003 11:50 AM

Giant Gambian Pouched Rats! Curious about these two-foot-long African rodents that have inadvertently gifted our nation's prairie dogs, children, and medical workers with monkeypox? Mary Ann Isaksen writes for the Rat & Mouse Gazette about keeping one of these cute li'l critters as a house pet.
posted by eyebeam (17 comments total)

There's more info at AltPet for those who are interested, including a link to a WAV file of one "churbling".
posted by eyebeam at 11:54 AM on June 12, 2003

Dammit, I told that bitch Mary Ann not to name her frickin' giant rat after me!

[Mr. Show] "Look at my exotic pet! He's so different! I'm so different!" [/Mr. Show]
posted by scody at 12:02 PM on June 12, 2003

This is how monkeypox crossed over to rodents.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:09 PM on June 12, 2003

I'm just entertained by the name "Giant Gambian Pouched Rat". It sounds like something that should look like Christopher Lloyd's Klingon pet from Star Trek III.
posted by eyebeam at 12:11 PM on June 12, 2003

makes me think of the Sumatran Rat Monkey from Dead Alive.
posted by dmo at 12:23 PM on June 12, 2003

The second link chronicles the two-year lifespan of one of these critters. At the end of the photo-timeline, the owner mentions this little fact:

Cause of death was Corona Virus.

Okay. Now where have I heard those words before? Oh yeah, that's where.

:shudder:
posted by grabbingsand at 1:07 PM on June 12, 2003

I wish I had a pouch. Damn rats.
posted by troutfishing at 1:16 PM on June 12, 2003

What I don't understand about the whole monkeypox thing is all the advice from the CDC about getting smallpox shots. Since when were smallpox shots available to the general public? I thought only healthcare workers and first responders were getting them, no?
posted by Mid at 1:19 PM on June 12, 2003

Oh yeah - A tail too. I read a sci-fi once by Kilgore Trout, called "The Sirens of Titan", in which the hero lands on a planet of tailed humanoids who consider him severely deprived for his lack of a powerfull yet sensitive six foot long prehensile tail.

So they help him out by surgically implanting one.

Damn Gambian Pouched Rats. They have it all, don't they.
posted by troutfishing at 1:20 PM on June 12, 2003

gifted our for given our... the the gift of? I'm callling verbicide. One gives, gave or has given gifts--not gifts, gaftes or has giften gifts. Gift is a noun, not a verb. Gifted, birthed--these are abominations. Please make a note of it.
posted by y2karl at 1:39 PM on June 12, 2003

[shudder]

The only time I ever saw a rat the size of a cat it was on a lawn in Forest Hill in Toronto. It snarled at me. I walked hurriedly on by.

Someone else saw a two-foot rat and though hey! That would make a great pet!

Well, as they say it takes all kinds.
posted by orange swan at 2:00 PM on June 12, 2003

Gift is a noun, not a verb.

Rats aside, the verbification of nouns really does need to stop. "Where do you office?" "Oh, really? You must desk very close me." "Let's conference later, okay?"

Corporate America should not be allowed to attempt communication unsupervised.
posted by vraxoin at 2:08 PM on June 12, 2003

y2karl, it's just an archaic usage of the word. From Merriam-Webster's online dictionary:

Main Entry: gift (def. 2)
Function: transitive verb
Date: circa 1550
1 : to endow with some power, quality, or attribute
2 : PRESENT ("generously gifted us with a copy" -- saturday review)

You can use "birth" as a verb, too, also in a somewhat older usage (1906). I get a kick out of using words in old-fashioned ways. The intent was to be mildly humorous, but apparently that was not successful.
posted by eyebeam at 2:13 PM on June 12, 2003

I have seen one of these critters in The Gambia, a beastie about the size of a small to medium sized dog, nonchalantly keeping 4 cats at bay while it foraged. Very impressive, I've always wished I had my camera on me at the time. Didn't see any pox, though.
posted by Joeforking at 2:31 PM on June 12, 2003

I get a kick out of using words in old-fashioned ways.
Or so you disingenously fudge after the fact. Verbicide was likely committed when you originally writtened that sentence, however.
posted by y2karl at 4:18 PM on June 12, 2003

I read a sci-fi once by Kilgore Trout, called "The Sirens of Titan", in which the hero lands on a planet of tailed humanoids who consider him severely deprived for his lack of a powerfull yet sensitive six foot long prehensile tail.

Ah, yes: rented a tent, rented a tent, rented a tent. [/derail]
posted by jokeefe at 1:51 PM on June 13, 2003

jokeefe - Almost an anagram of "The Sirens of Titan", but the 3 X "rented a tent" stumps me. So - do you know the thing about Kilgore trout?

Is it really possible to derail a post about giant rats?

I do envy the pouched rats for their pouches and tails, though.
posted by troutfishing at 2:55 PM on June 13, 2003