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What is a
Siamese rat and other interesting facts about Domestic Rats
/ Fancy Rats
Siamese
rats have a beige base color and darker shading on
their nose, ears, tail and base of tail, and on their feet.
(Like siamese in other species)
Rats are one of the smartest of over
1700 rodents and have been kept as pets
for hundreds of years. They have long
bodies, long tails with little or no
hair, long pointed noses and are larger
than mice. They have poor eyesight but
have excellent hearing and a strong
sense of smell.
Even though many consider rats dirty
animals, they are actually very clean
and groom themselves constantly. They
are cautious of new things, very
intelligent and learn from experience.
With enough social interaction rats can
share a bond with their owner and make
great pets. This information was
taken from
http://petratcare.org
Every summer at Cub Creek Science Camp we have Rats for
campers to enjoy. They come in many different colors.
Domestic Rats love the attention and are fun to hold and
entertaining to watch as they scamper around in their home
playing with their toys, some of which the campers have made
as the enrichment part of their Adopt an Animal Course here
at Science Camp
More information on the Domestic Rats
Young rats vs. adult mice
Young, weaned rats are still larger than adult mice,
weighing around 100 grams at six weeks. However, to the
casual observer, very young rats and adult mice can be
difficult to tell apart.
Here's what to look for: baby rats will have more
juvenile proportions than adult rodents. Their heads and
feet will be large relative to their bodies, their faces
will be stubby and blunt with wide noses. Adult mice, on the
other hand, will have adult proportions: a small, triangular
head with a small nose and little delicate feet as compared
to the body. In addition, mouse ears are very large relative
to their heads, rat ears are smaller relative to their
heads. Rats also have thicker tails than mice.
| Feature |
Baby Rat |
Adult Mouse |
| Head |
short, stubby, broad, large relative to body |
small, triangular, small relative to body |
| Muzzle |
large and blunt with wide muzzle |
narrow with sharp muzzle |
| Ears |
ears are small relative to the head |
ears are large relative to the head |
| Tail |
thick |
thin |
| Tail/body ratio |
Tail shorter than body |
Tail same length/longer than body |
| Feet |
Large relative to body, especially the hind feet |
Small relative to body |
| Weight |
around 100 grams at 6 weeks, 200 grams at 8
weeks |
30-50 grams |
| |
6 week old rat |
Adult mouse |
Rats vs Mice was taken from
http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatsMice.htm
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