"In recent years, governments in areas such as Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hunan have found the industry a fast and efficient way to shake off poverty. It is important to note that the bamboo rat is a common species of rodent bred for meat and wool in southern China. While this practice is not common throughout the Chinese population, it is done by some. It is important to note that the bamboo rat is a common species of rodent bred for meat and wool in southern China. 6. The bamboo rat is apparently delicious, good for your skin and can help reduce your carbon footprint on the planet. Since China banned all wild animals for consumption last month, the Department of Agriculture has updated a list of exempted animals. Bamboo rats are among the wild animals farmed for food in China and other parts of Asia. A farmer in Chinas Guizhou Province is pictured holding a bamboo rat in 2012 Chinese bamboo rats, or zhu shu in Mandarin, are known for their portly figure and fat cheeks. We trapped bamboo rats during June 2004July 2005 across Guangxi Province, China, and demonstrated 100% prevalence of infection. Image from Zaobao.com. in farmed exotic animals Cryptosporidium spp. The spike in demand for bamboo rat consumption has also benefited the two farmers co-workers according to an article in the China Daily, the wages of other bamboo rat breeders have also increased thanks to the duets online following. Chinese bamboo rats rarely grow beyond seven inches and are found throughout southern China, northern Burma and Vietnam. Some people in China prefer to eat baby rat meat, and they will even eat them alive after dipping them into a sauce to add a favorite flavor. Wild bamboo rats exhibit a 100% prevalence of Talaromyces marneffei infection . In February, as part of a broader response to the virus, China banned the consumption of wild animals. Bamboo rats left in limbo as breeders push back against China wildlife ban Read more It is already prohibited to transport animals without health certification and to fail to report outbreaks. Chinese bamboo rats are often sold for meat in Chinese markets. The man has since given his pet away, as he said he was unable to care for a bamboo rat. It was an operation that his local government actively encouraged with loans and other support, he says. Twitter Icon These rats feed on bamboo shoots and roots, and are treated as delicacies in some Chinese cities. The bamboo rat breeding industry in China started in the 1980s, and has expanded significantly since 2010, Liu said. in them are unclear. How it is prepared: Bamboo rats are marinated, stuffed with vegetables, and roasted until completely cooked. The lunar Year of the Rat is off to an auspicious start for Chinas internet famous bamboo rats, which have been taken off the nations menus by a new regulation against wildlife trade and bushmeat consumptionthough the news is less welcome to rural wildlife farmers who depend on the furry rodents for their income. Bamboo rat snakes have tiny fangs to restrain smaller prey like rodents and rats. An adult bamboo rat can weigh five kilograms and grow to 45 centimetres long. China Human penicilliosis marneffei is an emerging infectious disease caused by the fungus Penicillium marneffei.High prevalence of infection among bamboo rats of the genera Rhizomys and Cannomys suggest that these rodents are a key facet of the P. marneffei life cycle. A wild rodent species feeding on bamboo, these huge rats can weigh up to five kilograms (11 pounds) and grow to 45 centimetres (17 inches) long. A wild rodent species feeding on bamboo, these huge rats can weigh up to five kilograms (11 pounds) and grow to 45 centimetres (17 inches) long. The Chinese bamboo rats are sold as meat in food markets in China. The Chinese bamboo rat (Rhizomys sinensis) is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family found in southern China, southern Myanmar, and northern Vietnam.Its habitat is bamboo thickets usually at high elevations, pine forests, and plantations. Liu, a bamboo rat breeder from a small Guangdong village, took notice of the government support for raising rats. Dubbed as agricultural pests, these rodents feed on crop plants like bamboo, sugar cane, and tapioca.