[2] Mastomys natalensis is commonly known as the "multimammate rat" due to the female's multiple and prominent mammary glands 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". I don't suppose anyone has some clear photos showing the difference between males/females at the hopper stage? A: I line breed my rats because I want to have the best quality. Breeding them as pets is a rare occurrence, although they are capable of being tamed through training. I cant reiterate this enough. Animal model: carcinoids and adenocarcinoma of the glandular stomach of Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis. Is that normal? Note: African soft furs cannot reproduce with a rat or mouse. African soft fur rats can be tamed to live around people as well. No abstract available. My starter rats are het for ruby eye and are pandas. Persistence of Mastomys natalensis papillomavirus in multiple organs identifies novel targets for infection Alberta is currently the largest rat free land mass on earth because the Provincial government made laws, policies, and educational programs in the 1950s to essentially stop rats at the border. They aren't docile, loving, social creatures like our rats. It is easiest to form a new breeding group when the animals are young, or when the females havent yet had litters. Litter Size: 3-17; average is 9-12 per litter. Will decrease with age. I fed them off every week to my snakes, and out of 40 something snakes, only one girl shows any sort of preference and will ONLY takes ASFs. Okay, ditch the gloves and pony up! http://www.sciencedirect.com/sciencef533d0be858763, J. D. Randeria They breed prolifically. They will nip you if you are not quick enough. I have been able to break up and create new groups this way, but please make sure you pay attention to the individual dynamics to ensure there is minimal stress and the best chance for reintroduction of new animals. Sometimes these animals have white jaws and necks, but the white on the jaw does not connect to the white on the head spot except by the tip of the nose. Besides bitingASFs can JUMP. They need access to water and food all the time in captivity. Males rats are called bucks, and females rats are called does. Q: What is the best temp for breeding ASFs at? Average Life Span: Average is 2 - 3 years, Gestation Period: 21 - 26 days (average 23), Litter Size: 10 - 50+ (easy to be overrun). I've noticed with my collection that the more I interact with them, the less they are leaping and bounding from me when I pull their tub out for cleaning. The Website Is Run And Managed By A Community Of Enthusiasts Informative About Pets. They have a small mouth with sturdy teeth which they use to bite through their food and also use in an attack as a form of defense. I got two female ASFs because two separate breeders suggested them for my male mouse who had been acting very depressed. A 30 x 12 x 12 long aquarium is enough for 2 rats. This reinforces that biting behavior, because it teaches them that they can bite and are left alone. To p Live African Soft Furred Rats for Feeders, Breeders and Pets http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/88/10/2670, Iris Helfrich, Min Chen, Rainer Schmidt, Gerhard Frstenberger, Annette Kopp-Schneider, David Trick, Hermann-Josef Grne, Harald zur Hausen, and Frank Rsl They were so interesting and a lot of fun to watch. Q: When should I retire a female? African Soft Fur Rats are legal to own as pets in Alberta. They also differ in reproductive functions. This makes sense, as we could consider Alberta to be Rattus free, not Mastomys free. The heads usually have a characteristic Eye brows pattern, and some symmetrical spots or stripes on the cheeks or side of the face. Female mice and female African Soft-furs can also be kept together. The African soft-furred rat is commonly raised by reptile hobbyists since these rats are food for their pet snakes. Pet Mice and Pet Rats: Can They Live Together? You will commonly find these rats in southern Africa and West Africa. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents. Young African soft fur rats need to be kept close to their parents. I just removed a male from his breeding group. African Soft-fur Care What are ASF? the people i know live in a state where it is legal to own / breed ASF. There are better alternative litters available. 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. If you keep them alone, they may become depressed. 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. creative tips and more. Ifeel that the margin of error is too large to promote with good conscience regardless of the condoning by the AVMA. If you dont want to provide wheels to your rats, then I highly recommend you never introduce them. Sexual Maturity: 54-63 days Gestation: 21-23 days First Litter: Approx 3.5 months of age. http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/reprint/78/9/4797, Robert K. Jackson (have to scroll down to Mastomys) Only show this user . You can read all about the history of rat control in Alberta here. Northern Luzon giant cloud rodents are considered to be the largest rat in the world, weighing 5.7 lb (2.6 kg). Its quite unlike domestic rats. Head Spot (White spotting, heterozygous form). Whether thats chewing shavings, shelling seeds, gnawing whatever they can get their teeth on, these little guys have motor mouths that need to be busy almost all the time! The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34707944. The pied is an animal with a white head, and a white rear end. From then on I let them do their own thing and understood that my little family of ASFs were growing up and didnt care much for me trying to hold them. African soft-furred rat breeding is simple. Loose bedding is not recommended because they use it to push around the cage, and too loose of bedding will make it harder for them to get around. Lets just make that clear right here and now. When picked up, they would try to jump straight off my hand without even batting an eye. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The dominant Pied gene has been worked for generations to create an animal lacking almost all colored areas, except for the ears and a few random spots on the back. Thanks for understanding! Increased Incidence of Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Mastomys natalensis Papillomavirus E6 Transgenic Mice during Two-Stage Skin Carcinogenesis These rodents are usually bred to be fed to ball pythons and other reptiles. Some people have had some success keeping related males together, but this should only be attempted, if at all, by experienced mice keepers. I dont want them to get Him sick by any means. From reading various papers, the warty and ulcer like tumors known as keratoacanthomas and squamous carcinomas, are associated with a papillomavirus (MnPV). The ears are not pigmented, also being a light pink color. Will decrease with age. Re: where do you get your african soft fur rats. Statutes often exempt people and organizations who possess exotic animals for exhibition, scientific, or educational purposes. 2254 Views 18 Replies 9 Participants Last post by lovinmyworm, Sep 19, 2008. It is recommended that a male mouse be housed with no fewer than two female ASF. The pros include unobstructed viewing for your fur ball. They are a serious pest in most of sub-sahara Africa and it is economically the most detrimental rodent pest to crops and farming. Wire cages are arguably the best living choice for these pets. When feeding live, always monitor to make sure the animal is not harmed by the rat. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published. Fancy Mice and African Soft-furs are an exception to this rule, however, and make a great choice for solo male mice. African Soft Furs. I hope this helps! I had at least one Amber colored female not develope any tumors until close to her second year. 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! These rats will reach an average weight of approximately 2.1 ounces, and their fur varies between yellow, brown, and grey. On sale down from $1390! Thank you for reading! Spontaneous diseases in a closed colony of Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis Their common African name (natal multimammate mouse) literally means many-breasted mouse, so-named because the females possess extra teats, (8-14 pairs rather than the usual 5 or 6 pairs that other rodents have). These pups are 4 weeks old and approx 20 grams. They certainly have an odor. Not only that, they actually seem to enjoy each others' company. Hence, here is everything you must know before having an African Soft Fur Rat. Introduce the new breeding group to each other. An African soft furred rat has a long tail and four feet with small claws. r/AfricanSoftFur: A page for fans of the African Soft Fur Rats, also known as AFS's, African Soft Fur mice, Multimammates, & Multi mice. Multimammate Mice - Soft Furred African Rats. the one that did make it is doing great! Imiquimod treatment of papilloma virus and DMBA /TPA-induced cutaneous skin cancer in Mastomys coucha: an unique animal model system useful for preclinical studies They dont smell as bad as Mice or Domestic Rats. African soft furreds are used as minimally as a snake food mainly for the picky eaters. They sexually mature between 2-3 months. The only hazard with having a female heavy group is the possibility that the older pups will push the pinks down to the bottom of the pile removing them from nutrition and subjecting them to possible suffocation or crushing. Copyright 2023 Know Alberta | Powered by. They BITE!!! A glass aquarium or tank is a potential house for African soft fur rats. My point is, to me, they honestly smell just terrible. When you first start working with them, you may notice they hold completely still and close their eyes. My white VZM are only selectively bred checks Unfortunately no real BEW., So there you have it! The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. 2004. My name is Mike and I breed African Soft Furred Rats in Poughkeepsie, NY to feed my pet snakes. Ball Pythons LOVE THEM. 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. Many would say no, but they do smell, and anyone who says differently either does not have a keen sense of smell, or does not have more than one or two groups. http://asfrats.info (No longer available), Russell Tofts Article on ASFs (A good read, although may be outdated.) I handle all my adult every day and they are sweet gentle wonderful little guys, I just love them. DONT stop when they bite. African soft-furred rats live together in groups and they are seldom seen alone. We wouldnt steal your works, please dont take ours. First Litter: Approx 3.5 months of age. These rats will reach an average weight of approximately 2.1 ounces, and their fur varies between yellow, brown, and grey. African soft-furred rodents weigh 1.5 oz (42 g). ManfredReinacher, HermannMller, WolfgangThiel and RolandL.Rudolph You will not be able to introduce any outside members to a colony once they have successfully bred and born a litter until well after the offspring have been removed. Yes, African Soft Fur Rats are legal in Alberta, because they are a different genus and subfamily as typical rats that Alberta actively keeps out of the Province. African Soft Fur Rats First and foremost, it is extremely EASY to get overrun by an ASF colony! Can you clean an ASF cage when there are babies? Therefore, there is no need to supply heat additionally. Adult African soft fur rats grow to a size of 6 inches, with tails of about 4.5 inches in length. The rats chewed off the paint on a few of them, and in those tubs the wire of the wheel rusted pretty easily and one of them developed sores on the bottom of his paws. Q: Can I add another male to my colony? I have spoken to people like you and get similar stories. The porbeagle is one of the few sharks that jumps out of the water. The work of scrupulous selective breeding. In short, for some people, the odor from ASFs is not as offensive as it is for others, but they do have an odor. There are better options than these. They can be easily gassed with CO2, and frozen for later use. This is a reply I received from one of the German owners. That would help explain the Agouti in the Ruby X Cinnamon cross. http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-p2&size=largest Therefore, you can go for a bigger cage to provide good space for moving around. The white spotting can leave a small cape near the base of the neck covering the shoulder blades or can be as little as to touch just the base of the tail with some spots of white. A: Stress. http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/reprint/78/9/4797, Robert K. Jackson (have to scroll down to Mastomys) It takes a little over a month for them to grow to the traditional feeding size of 40-60 grams. Rats should not be fed food items like chocolate, caffeine, sweet potato, raw beans, or wild insects. However, the wild population of African soft fur rats has declined in recent years. I just wanted to give a positive review of these sweeties, with regular handling from an early age, they will turn out to be wonderful pets. . I continued to handle them about once a day. http://mouse-agility.com/asfrats.htm, If you would like to find ASFs near your area, this webpage has a small current listing of ASF breeders. Since Im not sure if their teeth grow exceptionally fast, its still a good idea to give them something to chew to prevent problems and ultimately starvation and death. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. One that has passed I plan to keep them all in the same room. Interesting! Mar 31, 2016. As you can see, they are both very similar and related, right down to the fact they are both rodents. He had chewed up all of his food into little crumbles, and didnt eat any of it. Thats two times your moving the same group, and I always want to minimize stress on the breeding groups. They are also illegal to own in many states (like in GA where I live). However, the population of common rats is estimated to be around billions. Manage Settings Reason? http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/41/2/315, K.Wayss, E.Amtmann, G.Frstenberger, G.Sauer and M.Volm I also give mine toilet/paper towel rolls so that can shred it, play with it, or chew on it. Notably, this species has long, soft, silky fur, which leads to the name. Offering untreated wood blocks and paper products to gnaw and shred is favorable but not mandatory. However, they can still socialise together. 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. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Very few people have successfully fostered mice and other ASFs to a group of nursing females. They can be pretty tame, but they're not super friendly. Litter Size: 3-17; average is 9-12 per litter. Menopause: Approx 12-15 mo. I should have taken a picture, but Ididnt remember to before she was euthanized and destroyed. The best part about owning and breeding ASFs is they produce very little smell! They also appear to both be a simple recessive. It is also known as the Natal multimammate rat, the common African rat, or the African soft-furred mouse. Save Share. Weve put a lot of work into each piece, and want to remind everyone that if you like what we do here, please make a link back to this page, rather than infringing on copyrights.