African crested rat

Lophiomys imhausi

Other poisonous animals🧤 Poison in its skinPoisonous, not venomous

Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.

African crested rat belongs to the group: Other poisonous animals. It lives in: Africa.2

Poisonous or venomous? Venomous animals inject venom with a bite or a sting. Poisonous animals are harmful to touch or to eat. This one is poisonous.

Lives in

Africa2

Length

40 cm (1.3 ft)2

typical adult size

Top speed

about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

On land, rough guess

Poison power

Poison in its skin

Its skin is poisonous. It is dangerous to touch, lick or eat.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.

🚑 If someone touched or ate it

If someone ate it or has symptoms after eating it: call your emergency number or poison centre straight away.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

⛑️ Stay safe

Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
If you touched or ate it: do not rub your eyes or mouth, wash your hands and get medical help.

It is not out to get you. Its poison is only there so that nothing eats it. More about staying safe

Where in the world?

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Australia & Oceania The oceans

How big is it?

How long is it?

as long as 2 bananas end to endas long as 12 toy building bricks in a rowcould cover 100 metres in 72 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big is African crested rat compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

African crested rat about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)

A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)

For venom experts

Scientific name: Lophiomys imhausi
Group: Other poisonous animals
Family: Muridae1
Order: Rodentia
Continents: Africa
Danger to people: 3 / 5: Serious2

Where the facts come from

Lophiomys imhausi (iNaturalist): names and classification.
Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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