Early Postnatal Development of the South African Hamster Mystromys Albicaudatus

Abstract

The South African Hamster Mystromys albicaudatus has been bred in the laboratory of the Medical Ecology Centre since 1941. It is of interest taxonomically in that it is the sole representative left in Africa of the subfamily Cricetinae (Davis 1962). It has been used in Medical Research on poliomyelitis, benign histoplasmosis, dental caries and certain other diseases (Davis 1963, Hall et al. 1967, Packer et al. 1970). Meester (1960) has studied the early postnatal development of the Multimammate mouse Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis and the present paper is a sequel to that study.