 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
| Cane rats Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| A man with a greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Hystricomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Hystricognathi |
| Parvorder: | Phiomorpha |
| Family: | Thryonomyidae |
| Genus: | Thryonomys Fitzinger, 1867 |
| Type species | |
| Aulacodus swinderianus | |
| Species | |
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Thryonomys gregorianus (lesser cane rat) | |
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| Reconstructed range of Thryonomys gregorianus (orange) and Thryonomys swinderianus (red), with overlapping ranges in stripe pattern | |
The genus Thryonomys, also known as the cane rats or grasscutters, is a genus of rodent found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the only members of the family Thryonomyidae.[1] They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest species on many crops.[2] The family name comes from the Greek word thryon, meaning a "rush" or "reed" and mys meaning "mouse".
- ^ Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1545. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Gruber, Karl (2015-12-07). "While rats are met with revulsion in most parts of the world, some communities put rodents pride of place on the dinner menu". BBC. Retrieved 2021-08-14.