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Hello, if you have picked out this paper I have either been so excited to show it to you and you could not resist, or you thought it was interesting. Either way, thank you for reading.
To start us off, rats come under many different names! Ratty rat, stinky stinker, scrunkle so scronkle why so scrunkly??, grab go rat rat so grabbable, and many more!
To continue, I feel like it's important to specify what exactly rats are. Rats are thin-tailed, medium-sized rodents. "True rats"are members of the genus Rattus, but other rodents are generally referred to as rats as they share a lot of the same characteristics.
Different types of Household/outdoor rats
Norway Rat (aka Brown Rat)
Colour: Black or brown, with a lighter underside; grey or brown.
Diet: Norway rats will eat anything they come across. Including things like small birds, eggs, all types of plants and small invertebrates.
Appearance: Ranging anywhere from 38-50cm total including their tail, and they have small ears.
Common diseases: Leptospirosis, and they also carry toxoplasmosis; a disease that, in humans, results in muscle pain, fever, and headaches.
Location: They're found throughout the US, but particularly in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest.
Roof Rat (aka Ship Rat, Black Rat)
Colour: Black, medium or light brown with a lighter underside.
Diet: Seeds, fruit, stems, leaves, insects, and small animals like birds. Typically attracted to outside dog and cat food.
Appearance: 12-17 cm long with a tail that extends up to 20 cm. They have long ears. Common Diseases: Leptospirosis, typhus, toxoplasmosis, and trichinosis. Location: These rats are most common in coastal areas and tropical climates. But, even with that said they can also adapt to colder weather.
Woodrat (aka Pack Rat)
Colour: Typically they're a greyish-brown
Diet: Seeds, nuts, leaves, berries, twigs, insects, birds, and small mammals. Appearance: Woodrats look distinctively like rats. They have long tails, large ears and big black eyes. Depending on their location, their size varies.
Common Diseases: Arenavirus, hantavirus, typhoid, trichinosis, and the bubonic plague.
Location: These rats are common in western North America, ranging from arctic Canada, to the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico.
Marsh Rice rat
Colour: Usually grey to greyish-brown, with their head being a bit lighter, and the underbelly and feet are an off-white.
Diet: Green vegetation, fungus, rice and marsh grasses, as well as insects, snails, fish and even fiddler crabs.
Appearance: Medium-sized, with a total length up to 30 cm.
Common Diseases: Bayou virus (an agent of hantavirus). They also carry lyme disease and a bacteria called Bartonella.
Location: Florida keys and the Gulf coast. Their natural habitats range from the eastern U.S. to Texas.
Different types of Pet rats
Rex Rat (sheep-rats)
Species Name: Rattus norvegicus
Care Level: Easy
Temperature: 18-22 degrees celsius
Temperament: Docile, curious, affectionate, and intelligent.
Colour Form: Albino, blue, black, cream, platinum, buff, silver, sable, Siamese, fawn, grey
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Size: 22-27 cm, 453-907 g
Diet: Omnivore
Minimum cage size: The minimum recommended size for two rats is 28 in x 14 in x 17 in. Also make sure that the bars are not too far apart but also not too close together:
uphold a maximum bar distance of half an inch (around 1 cm) to ensure that they cannot escape.
Cage set-up: Multi-level
Compatibility: Very compatible.
Cost: Typically, a rex rat will cost between $20-$50 dollars when you adopt them from a breeder. Though, some breeders tend to give discounts to people who adopt multiples; and some people won't let you buy unless you buy in pairs.
Manx Rat (tailless rat):
Species Name: Rattus Norvegicus (Fancy Rat)
Care Level: Easy
Temperature: Sensitive to hot temperatures caused by lack of tail. Temperament: Intelligent, affectionate, curious, social, playful
Colour Form: Any colours, most common: Black, Blue, Siamese, Champagne, and Agouti
Lifespan: 1-3 years
Size: 450-650 grams for males, 350-450 grams for females
Diet: Omnivores
Minimum cage size: The minimum recommended size for two rats is 28 in x 14 in x 17 in. Also make sure that the bars are not too far apart but also not too close together: uphold a maximum bar distance of half an inch (around 1 cm) to ensure that they cannot escape.
Cage set-up: Multi-level
Compatibility: Compatible to very compatible.
Cost: These rats are more expensive because of the fact that they're more difficult to breed. That being said, these rats can easily cost over $100, so it's important to buy from a trusted and reputable breeder.
Sphynx rat:
Species Name: Double rex i fink
Care Level: Medium, they require a lot of care.
Temperature: 64-79 degrees.
Temperament: Highly intelligent and affectionate.
Colour Form: They have no hair. They look like wrinkly old men (affectionate). Lifespan: 1-3 years, but they more commonly only live a year.
Size: Regular ratty size yk
Diet: Hairless rats have essentially the same diet as other rats, they just require more of it. Hairless rats burn calories and have a higher metabolism to keep their bodies warm, compared to a rat with fur. They should still eat rat pellets and their diet should be supplemented with fruits and vegetables at a ratio of about 80% pellets to 20% fresh foods. Some common foods that rats enjoy are bananas, broccoli, carrots, grapes, kale, kiwi, pears, plums, spinach, sweet potatoes and watermelon, but it has to be cut into tiny pieces and removed from the cage if it was not eaten within a day. They can also have a supplement of olive oil in their diet which can help their skin from getting dry.
Minimum cage size: The minimum recommended size for two rats is 28 in x 14 in x 17 in. Also make sure that the bars are not too far apart but also not too close together: uphold a maximum bar distance of half an inch (around 1 cm) to ensure that they cannot escape.
Cage set-up: The cage that you buy should have no sharp edges, it should also be placed somewhere where they will not be at risk of being exposed to cold air. You should maintain a temperature between 64-79 degrees at all times. They also require soft bedding that will keep them warm. With sphynx rats, wood shavings and chips will be uncomfortable for them and can damage their skin. They can do okay with paper bedding, but it will need to be changed daily because their skin will become irritated if the paper has been soiled. A good option for these ratties are shredded pieces of fleece or ripped up t-shirts and cotton products like towels. You need to be diligent about cleaning their bedding daily, because their skin will become irritated from urine and feces within the cage. CLEAN THAT STINKERS CAGE!!!!
Compatibility: Like all rats they're social creatures.
Cost: Generally $25-$50 per ratterson.
Dumbo Rat:
Species Name: Rattus norvegicus domestica
Care Level: Easy
Temperature: 18-23 degrees celsius
Temperament: Mild, easygoing, cuddly, engaging.
Colour Form: Agouti, black, lilac, fawn
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Size: 38-55 cm long, 680 g
Diet: Rat pellets, fruits vegetables, lean meat, beans.
Minimum cage size: The minimum recommended size for two rats is 28 in x 14 in x 17 in. Also make sure that the bars are not too far apart but also not too close together:
uphold a maximum bar distance of half an inch (around 1 cm) to ensure that they cannot escape.
Cage set-up: Minimal
Compatibility: Get along well with other rats.
Cost: If you're planning on buying a dumbo rat from a breeder or a pet store, you can expect to pay between $10 and $20, but certain coloured rats can cost a bit more.
What are the differences between rats and mice?
Mice and rats are both rodents, so they do have similar features; most being their identifying features such as a pair of incisor teeth in their upper jaw. They often have short legs and a long tail. The biggest difference between the two is their size. Rats tend to be bigger and heavier, while mice are smaller and lighter. That stuff is in physical differences.
In terms of pets;
For mice, if you're housing a group of male mice they may tend to be more aggressive towards each other because they can be known to not like each other. Groups of female rats tend to be okay to house together. But, mice aren't the most social creatures. If you're looking for a close "I really love you" relationship you aren't going to get that from a mouse. They're not as affectionate or responsive as a rat would be. But, if you prefer to watch rather than play, mice would be a good choice for you! Be weary of small children or other pets though! Mice are smaller and more fragile (simply because of their size) so you'll need to be more careful with them when handling those chonkers.
For ratty rats so ratterson ratty so rats, they're super duper awesome! But these babies need a LOT more attention than mice. Rats need and crave human interaction, so be prepared for that before buying. They also need daily time outside of their cage, and they need to explore, run around and play. Ratty rats can also learn tricks! Some people refer to pet rats as little dogs because they're such smarties. They can also be trained to do certain stuff besides tricks, and they can also be litter trained! (Mice cannot be litter trained,,,,,,,, super sad, they WILL POOP EVERYWHERE!!! /j) Besides all that awesome stuff, they also can live a year longer than mice (Rats having a 2-3 year life span, while mice have a 1-2 year life span), so if you're looking for a longer time with a pet, rattersons are the way to go. Additionally (we've got a lot of add-ons), rats get along very well with siblings they grew up with. But, like male mice, they might not be the friendliest. Also, they're not as fragile as mice, so if you're worried about younger children rats, ratS, raTS, rATS, RATS!!!!
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