Beamys Cricetomys Saccostomus Pouched rats are a group of African rodents in the subfamily Cricetomyinae.

All nesomyids are in the superfamily Muroidea, a large and complex clade containing 1⁄4 of all mammal species.

Sometimes the pouched rats are placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea.

They are characterized by having large cheek pouches and a distinctive molar morphology.

A giant pouched rat was also implicated as a carrier in a small outbreak of monkeypox in the US.