| Common Names: |
Rat, pet rat, fancy rat, lab rat. (Wild "ancestors" are called brown rats, Norway rats, sewer rats.)
|
||
| Taxonomy: |
Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciurognathi Family: Muridae Subfamily: Murinae Genus: Rattus Species: Rattus norvegicus | ||
| Origin: |
Species introduced to Europe by boats from probably Asia in the 1700's. Rats domesticated in Europe as pets and as laboratory animals.
| ||
| Adult Size: |
8 to 10 inches from nose to base of tail
0.5 to 1.5 lbs | ||
| Dentition: |
1/1 0/0 0/0 3/3: 18 total (meaning 1 incisor and 3 molars in each quadrant)
| ||
| Lifespan: |
2 to 4 years (longest-lived on record is 7 years)
| ||
| Vocabulary: |
Male: Buck
Female: Doe Young: Pinkies, pups, or kittens Group: Hoarde or Mischeif | ||
| Eating Habits: |
Omnivore/scavenger, will also hunt insects and smaller mammals.
(Pet diet consists of rat food or a mixture of cereals and meat.) | ||
| Natural Predators: |
Cats, dogs (especially terriers), ferrets, and most other larger carnivores.
| ||
| Behavior: |
Very social, living in small to large groups. Nocturnal or crepuscular.
| ||
| Sexual Maturity: |
8 to 12 weeks (as young as 5 weeks has been seen)
| ||
| Heat Cycles: |
Females receptive for 12 to 20 hours every 4 to 6 days. Also have postpartum esterus, being receptive again within 18 hours of giving birth. (Males are always receptive.)
| ||
| Gestation: |
21 to 23 days
| ||
| Litter Size: |
Usually 6 to 14 (over 20 in a litter has been seen); young are born altricial, hairless, blind, and deaf.
| ||
| Weaning Age: |
25 to 35 days
| ||
| Minimum Living Space (single rat): |
2 square feet floor space, and 10 inches high ("standing room").
| ||
| Space Per Rat (for more than one): |
1 to 2 square feet
| ||
| Health Considerations: |
Sensitive to respiratory infections, and tumors are common in old age. (Rats can also suffer heart problems, diabetes, and other problems associated with diet, age, and heredity.)
| ||
| Legal Considerations: |
Pet rats (not wild ones, though) are legal in all U.S. states and most countries worldwide. Currently illegal in Alberta, Canada. (Check local laws in your area if you are concerned.)
| ||
|
|
|||