They need access to water and food all the time in captivity. ASFs love wheels. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. I suggest buying a very young animal from a breeder who knows that their animals are not as likely to bite as other breeders colonies, and when you get these animals, get the same sex so you never breed them. First Litter: Approx 3.5 months of age. German. (Updated 2/17/09). You can read all about the history of rat control in Alberta here. Rats. Other objects you can give them for entertainment include paper towel tubes, hammocks bought from a pet store, or cardboard boxes. If youve heard about these animals, you would probably have been told a few key things about them. 3. They ovulate every 4 days. ive heard it might be very difficult to introduce male asf rats that arent related. Eyes are black, ears are pigmented dark. HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON SPONTANEOUS RENAL LESIONS OF PRAOMYS (MASTOMYS) NATALENSIS The cons are that you cant be creative with it and it is hard to clean it. It often triggers a range of health issues, and is just not worth the risk and headache! They will develop warty tumors, patchy hairloss, and osteoarthritis as they age past approx 9 months, although it can be younger, or delayed as much as 14 months. They resemble mice, however they are rats. A page for fans of the African Soft Fur Rats, also known as AFS's, African Soft Fur mice, Multimammates, & Multi mice. He had access to wood, food, and water all night. Q: When should I retire a female? Please do your research before investing in a colony African Soft Furs are also known as: - Natal Multimammate Mouse - Natal Multimammate Rat - Common African Rat Fun Fact: Female rats can get pregnant again 3 HOURS after laying their litter! Will decrease with age. Also like the Domestic Norway Rat, the Ambers are a bright orange-yellow color. This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 09:36. http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/bjdr/abstract.00002300-2 When we checked on him the next day to move him in with the other males, we had noticed that most of this food was gone. It is possible with constant interaction to get individual rats used to human handling and even playing with you, but this takes almost daily handling and working with the individual animal. The hets are cinnamon with white ears in my case. It is different than the Ruby Eyed gene, but can be incredibly hard to tell the difference from a Ruby eyed unless eyes are very bright red. Or, it might be due to their environment and lack of suitable food sources. All the females in the group will nurse and care for the litters indiscriminately, and you will often see the older pups and the father helping to take care of the pups. Handling ASFs daily will sustain a good relationship between you and your rats. Not only that, they actually seem to enjoy each others' company. hi, ive tried googling but i cant find anything like my situation, my fiance works at a pet store where they breed asf rats for feeders. This reinforces that biting behavior, because it teaches them that they can bite and are left alone. If you keep them alone, they may become depressed. The pied is an animal with a white head, and a white rear end. I found problems to originate in the original father through line breeding. Zentralbl Veterinarmed B. The offspring would all have the head spot, because each would be heterozygous for white spotting because pied is homozygous. The gestation period lasts 21 days and they may have six to 22 babies per litter. Of course you can! They dont smell as bad as Mice or Domestic Rats. Since we got one agouti, they are not the same gene. http://books.google.com/books?id=DEqsnum=9#PPA4,M1, Tan C H; Tachezy R; Van Ranst M; Chan S Y; Bernard H U; Burk R D The diversity of gastric carcinoma We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. Rats should not be fed food items like chocolate, caffeine, sweet potato, raw beans, or wild insects. African Soft Fur Rats | AK Morphs LLC Throughout the week they are also given scraps of vegetables (mainly sweet potatoes), salad mixings, and an unsalted mix of assorted nuts. We recommend caution if housing male ASF with female mice as they are much larger and the risk of them unintentionally injuring a smaller female mouse is higher. I just removed a male from his breeding group. Common brands of feed for ASFs include Harlan Teklad, Mazuri, LabDiet, Zeigler and Kent rodent feeds. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. Bring them small treats like a dog biscuit, seeds, yogurt drops, raisins, and work with the animal a few times a day, so they learn that you are safe, and even bring them yummy treats! This is a reply I received from one of the German owners. Also, ensure you buy an aquarium with a lid made of wire mesh or vents to allow enough ventilation to flow through the area. Just be sure not to cross state lines with the animal or to import one from another state, as the Federal Endangered Species Act forbids it. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. It was amusing to see, but also a little nerve wracking. In short, for some people, the odor from ASFs is not as offensive as it is for others, but they do have an odor. I've a new pet but want to make sure I get them a companion that's the same sex so I don't have an unexpected litter. Cuttle bone, untreated wood blocks, their plastic hides, cardboard tubes, hardware cloth, you name it. African Soft-fur Care (910) 547-6249Call or Text Home About Us Rats Rat Care Guide Our Girls Our Boys Nursery Past Litters 2022 Past Litters 2021 Past Litters 2020 Planned Litters Rat Colors & Markings Safe/Unsafe Foods Mice Mice Care Guide Mouse Varieties Available Mice Past Litters Safe/Unsafe Foods Exotics Syrian Hamsters African Soft-furs CrouchingToaster 3 yr. ago It will make it easier down the road. When picked up, they would try to jump straight off my hand without even batting an eye. Although they have nothing to do with the rat genus. One of the commonest African rodents, this is an ideal species for the tyro breeder, being undemanding, easy to keep and (a definite plus for those keeping it in a bedroom) odor-free. After the female has given birth, she will go into heat a few hours later and will be impregnated again. Their small adult size compared to the Norway rat makes them ideal to keep, because they are often the perfect feeding size for months and will not outgrow the feeding limits for most carnivores like a Norway rat will. ManfredReinacher, HermannMller, WolfgangThiel and RolandL.Rudolph This animal is just what the name says. Make sure that the bar spacing is around half an inch to prevent escape. Also them being used for food mostly means that they aren't bred for docility (or any other trait you would want in a pet); they are still pretty "wild". A 30 x 12 x 12 long aquarium is enough for 2 rats. Sometimes it is also known as a Natal multimammate rat. Once the ASF are approx 4 weeks old, remove the young from the group and place them into a different cage/tub. No abstract available. When I clean their tubs, and the pee corner they use the most is scraped away, THAT right there is what I smell from them all the time, and it can make me nauseous. They are very active animals and will need a place to make into their burrow. I have gone through quite a few wheels for these buggers, and the only ones we have available in local pet shops are the powder coated (painted) metal wire wheels. This makes sense, as we could consider Alberta to be Rattus free, not Mastomys free. [2] Mastomys natalensis is commonly known as the "multimammate rat" due to the female's multiple and prominent mammary glands These rats associate closely with humans, and are commonly found in and around African villages. Thanks for understanding! We wouldnt steal your works, please dont take ours. the people i know live in a state where it is legal to own / breed ASF. A: By the tail, Q: Can I keep these as pets? Almost never do ASFs enjoy human interaction right away, and this behavior is more of a sign that they are stressed. African Soft Furs | Rat Forum http://www.springerlink.com/content/w5222w4581321370/, Anton J. Bilchika, Ola Nilssona, Irvin M. Modlin, Karl A. Zuckera and Thomas E. Adrian http://www.sciencedirect.com/sciencef533d0be858763, J. D. Randeria Alberta is very particular about keeping rats like the Norway Rat outside the provincial borders, and that includes keeping pet rats, as pets often escape into the wild. ASFs are very protective of their young and their relaxed behavior with you will change as soon as those pups are born. For this, you can get a metal running wheel to run and release excess energy. She is one of my new breeding groups, the other breeding group will be Platinums with dark and with light colored ears. Their small adult size compared to the Norway rat makes them ideal to keep, because they are often the perfect feeding size for months and will not outgrow the feeding limits for most carnivores like a Norway rat will. In return I gave them a bunch of things to chew and destroy including very thick cardboard tubes, seeds, wood blocks, dog biscuits, and also many types of paper products to shred, since we all know how they freak when we take away something they depend on for stress release. They are a serious pest in most of sub-sahara Africa and it is economically the most detrimental rodent pest to crops and farming. http://books.google.com/books?id=DEqsnum=9#PPA4,M1, Tan C H; Tachezy R; Van Ranst M; Chan S Y; Bernard H U; Burk R D I have been working at a place where they breed ASFs to feed to the owls. The best part about owning and breeding ASFs is they produce very little smell! The ears are not pigmented, also being a light pink color. He is basicallyGandalf. What temperature is suitable for African soft fur rats? , For more reading on keeping ASFs as pets, please visit the following link. He had chewed up all of his food into little crumbles, and didnt eat any of it. Q: What is a good ratio to start breeding? This does not influence our choices. Litter Size: 3-17; average is 9-12 per litter. Other things you can purchase include hammocks from pet stores, cardboard boxes, and paper towel tubes. The blocks are long 22s cut into 4 lengths. First and foremost, it is extremely EASY to get overrun by an ASF colony! If you take their wheels away, initially they are highly stressed and destructive. Animals can have a completely white head with no markings, or have quite a few dark spots on the face. This makes them happy and healthy. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. African soft furred rats are an easy species to breed, with many benefits for breeders. The females will attack to protect their young. So now you have a group that no longer needs to be producing for whatever reason, or you want to completely swap members. Rats generally live for two years, but African soft fur rats live about 33% longer (up to three years) in captivity. Belly remains the lighter color and may have white spots or striping. We wouldnt steal your works, please dont take ours. Be prepared for the loss of any fostered orphans. The animals appear a dark gray color when young, and lightening to a dark brown color as an adult, with a cool blue belly.
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