Gambian Pouched Rats Info

These are some pictures of the late Bristol, who was a Gambian Pouched rat. (He passed away at the very start of the year 2002.) I got Bristol from a breeder in Florida, and had him flown here to Michigan via airplane when he was six weeks old. Being the smallest in his litter of three, he never got as big as many male Gambians do, but he was still a good sized rat. Gambian pouched rats can be difficult to work with, Bristol was moody and prone to throw tantrums, didn't like strangers, was protective of his cage and toys, and required a special diet, among other things. For me it was worth it and I had no problems taking care of him, but a lot of people think Gambians are just cool because they are a "big rat" and expect them to be pretty much that. They are not just big rats, they are exotic animals, and should always be expected to be just that. I've never talked to a Gambian owner that's admitted any differently.

I get tons of emails from people asking if I breed them, or if I know where they can get one. Sorry folks, but nope and nope. If you're really serious about getting one, like I was, I suggest you do the same thing I did.. search and search and search on the internet. I don't know how long it took me to get one, but it was well over a year - and in those days they were far more common. I believe they're still illegal in the USA at this point.