AnAge entry for Thryonomys swinderianus

Classification (HAGRID: 03199)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Rodentia
                Family: Thryonomyidae
                    Genus: Thryonomys
Species: Thryonomys swinderianus
Common name: Greater cane rat

Maximum longevity: 5.4 years (captivity)
Source: ref. 671
Sample size: Tiny
Data quality: Acceptable
Observations: Although ageing has not been studied in detail, these animals appear to be short-lived. Record longevity in captivity is 5.4 years [0671]. Considering their size, a longer lifespan could be expected. It is possible that their maximum longevity is slightly understimated, but there is no data to suggest a much longer longevity.

No information on metabolism is available.

[0671] Richard Weigl (2005), Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the Living Collections of the World
[0610] Ernest (2003), Life history characteristics of placental non-volant mammals
[0699] Jori and Cooper (2001), Spontaneous neoplasms in captive African cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827) (PubMed)
[0698] Jori et al. (2001), Postmortem findings in captive cane rats (Thryonomys swinderianus) in Gabon (PubMed)
[0434] Ronald Nowak (1999), Walker's Mammals of the World
[0455] Virginia Hayssen et al. (1993), Asdell's Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data
[0680] Wootton (1987), The effects of body mass, phylogeny, habitat, and trophic level on mammalian age at first reproduction