Fancy rat
Fancy rat | |
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An variegated hooded fancy rat
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Domesticated
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Rattus |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | R. n. domestica
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Trinomial name | |
Rattus norvegicus domestica (Berkenhout, 1769)
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The fancy rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica) is the
Fancy rats were originally targets for
Fancy rats are used widely in medical research, as their physiology is similar to human physiology. When used in this field, they are referred to as laboratory rats (lab rats).
Domesticated rats are physiologically and psychologically different from their wild relatives, and typically pose no more of a health risk than other common pets.[2] For example, domesticated brown rats are not considered a disease threat,[3] although exposure to wild rat populations could introduce pathogens like the bacteria Streptobacillus moniliformis into the home.[4] Fancy rats have different health risks from their wild counterparts, and thus are unlikely to succumb to the same illnesses as wild rats.[citation needed]
History
The origin of the modern fancy rat begins with the
Rat fancy as a formal, organized hobby began when a woman named Mary Douglas asked for permission to bring her pet rats to an exhibition of the National Mouse Club at the Aylesbury Town Show in England on October 24, 1901. Her black-and-white hooded rat won "Best in Show" and ignited interest in the area. After Douglas' death in 1921, rat fancy soon began to fall back out of fashion. The original hobby formally lasted from 1912 to 1929 or 1931, as part of the National Mouse and Rat Club, at which point Rat was dropped from the name, returning it to the original National Mouse Club. The hobby was revived in 1976 with the formation of the English National Fancy Rat Society (NFRS).[1][7] Pet rats are now commonly available in stores and from breeders,[9] and there exist several rat fancier groups worldwide.[citation needed]
Differences from wild rats
While domesticated rats are not removed enough from their wild counterparts to justify a distinct species (like the
Behaviorally, domesticated pet rats are
The body structure of domesticated rats differs from that of a wild rat as well. The body of a fancy rat is smaller, with larger ears and a longer tail. Domesticated rats have generally smaller and sharper facial features as well.[citation needed]
Domesticated rats have a longer lifespan than that of wild rats. Because domesticated rats are protected from predators and have ready access to food, water, shelter, and medical care, their average lifespan is around two to three years, in contrast to wild R. norvegicus, which average a lifespan of less than one year.
Varieties
As in other pet species, a variety of colors,
Coloring
While some pet rats retain the
Eye color is considered a subset of coloring, and coat color definitions often include standards for the eyes, as many genes which control eye color will also affect the coat color or vice versa. The American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (AFRMA) lists black, pink, ruby, and odd-eyed (two differently colored eyes) as possible eye colors, depending on the variety of rat shown.[19] Ruby refers to eyes which at a glance appear black, but on closer observation are a deep, dark red.
Color names can vary for more vaguely defined varieties, like lilac and fawn,[18] while the interpretations of standards can fluctuate between (and even within) different countries or clubs.[19][20][21]
Markings
Further dividing the varieties of fancy rats are the many different markings. Fancy rats can appear in any combination of colors and markings. The markings are typically in reference to the patterns and ratios of colored hair versus white hair. Two extremes would be a self (completely solid, non-white color) and a Himalayan (completely white except blending into colored areas at the nose and feet, called points, as in a Himalayan cat's markings).[22]
Markings have a strict standard, with detailed terminology, for showing in fancy rat
Commonly recognized standards include:
- Berkshire – colored top, white belly
- hooded – color runs in a saddle, a single, unbroken line from the full head down to the spine and possibly partly down the tail[21]
- capped – color on the full head only
- blazed – colored head (capped) or body (Irish, Berkshire or self) with a triangular wedge of white fur over the face.
- variegated – any form of mismatched oddities in the fur. Can be anything from a broken or spotted hood to a misshaped blaze.
- Irish or English Irish – In England, the Irish is standardized by the NFRS as an equilateral triangle of white with a side that begins at the chest, or between the front legs, and where the point ends mid-length.[21] In the United States and elsewhere, clubs like the AFRMA distinguish this marking as the English Irish and allow for another standardized Irish in which the rat may have white of an even or symmetrical nature anywhere along its underside.[19][23]
Other marking varieties include spotted or Dalmatian (named for the spotted
Body type
Two of the most prominent and standardized physical changes applied to rats through selective breeding are the development of the Manx rat and Dumbo rat. The Dumbo rat, whose origins are in the United States, is characterized by having large, low, round ears on the sides of its head caused by a recessive mutation, and was named for its resemblance to the fictional character
Another body type variation that has risen to prominence more recently in the hobby is the Dwarf rat. Dwarfism arose as a mutation among Sprague-Dawley rats kept for research in the 1970s.[26] Adult dwarfs are considerably smaller than their standard counterparts, with males between 100 and 130g as opposed to 300g or more. This strain of dwarfism is caused by reduced production of growth hormone, and this has other effects in addition to changed overall body size. Important for pet-keeping, it reduces the incidence of pituitary and mammary tumours and nephropathy (liver disease), with the result that Dwarf rats live 20–40% longer in males and 10–20% longer in females than their standard counterparts.[27] However, they may also show some cognitive impairment. [28]
Coat types
There is a relatively small variety of coats compared to the number of colors and markings, and not all are internationally standardized. The most common type is the normal or standard, which is allowed variance in coarseness between the sexes; males have a coarse, thick, rough coat, while females' coats are softer and finer. Remaining coat types are not defined by the hair itself, but rather by the lack of it, such as hairless rats.
Hairless rats
Hairless rats are a coat variety characterized by varying levels of hair loss. One type of hairless rat is bred from curly-coated rexes. These range from having areas of very short fur to being completely bald. Since rex is a
Ethics of selective breeding
There is controversy among rat fanciers in regard to selective breeding.[30][31] On one hand, breeding rats to "conform" to a specific standard or to develop a new one is a large part of what the fancy was founded on. On the other hand, the process results in many rats who do not "conform", and are then either given away, sold as food, or killed—the latter referred to as culling.[citation needed]
There are concerns as to whether breeding hairless and tailless rats is ethical. The tail is vital for rats' balance and for adjusting body temperature. Tailless rats have greater risk of heat exhaustion, poor bowel and bladder control, falling from heights, and can be at risk for life-threatening deformities in the pelvic region, like hind leg paralysis and megacolon.[32] Similarly, hairless rats are less protected from scratches and the cold without their coat. Groups such as the NFRS prohibit the showing of these varieties at their events and forbid advertisement through affiliated services.[33]
Availability
Because
Health
Human-raised
Rats that live their entire lives indoors usually are able to avoid disease-causing bacteria such as
Additionally, pet or laboratory rats enjoy the intrinsic benefits of having a consistent and well-balanced diet, along with access to medical care.Mites also pose a health risk.
While living indoors decreases the risk of contracting certain diseases, living in close quarters with other rats, lack of proper protection from environmental factors (e.g. temperature, humidity), an unhealthy diet, and the stresses inherently associated with living in an unnatural habitat can all adversely affect a rat's health to make them more prone to specific conditions.
Several diseases, like Rat Coronavirus Infection (RCI),
Pet rats can also develop
There is some evidence that spayed female rats ("does") are less likely to develop mammary and
Risks to owners
Keeping rats as pets can come with the stigma that rats supposedly transmit dangerous diseases to their owners. Usually, rats bred as pets are tested and treated for diseases and parasites. One fear is that all rats carry plague, when in fact R. norvegicus is not among the list of species considered a threat.[3] In 2004, an outbreak of salmonella in the United States was connected to people who owned pet rats.[47] However, it has been determined that a pet rat's initial exposure to salmonella, along with many other zoonotic rat diseases, typically indicates exposure to wild rodent populations, either from an infestation in the owner's home, or from the pet's contaminated food, water, or bedding.[4]
Another risk to rat owners is rat-bite fever. This is a rare disease among domesticated rats and is most often found in rats from large chain pet stores that breed their stock of rats in masses (usually with the intention of being snake food rather than pets) or from breeders with neglectful rat husbandry. This disease is fairly unnoticeable in the rat, but is characterized by swelling of the bite or scratch site, fever, vomiting, and body aches. It is contracted by the bite or scratch of an infected rat.[48] As an early breeder of fancy rats, Jack Black recounted that he nearly died several times after bites.[49]
In 2017, the
Fiction
Samantha Martin, a professional animal trainer for films, commercials, and music videos, has claimed that rats are one of the easiest animals to train due to their adaptability, intelligence, and focus.[51][52]
In the direct-to-video sequels to the 1987 film The Brave Little Toaster, The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue and The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, Ratso is the pet rat of Rob McGroarty.
The
In certain versions of the
In the 1996
Pet rats are unofficially allowed at
Christopher Boone, the
See also
- Fancy mouse
- Experimental evolution
- List of fictional rodents
- Rat agility
- Rat Genome Database
- Working rat
References
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- ISBN 978-0-226-46734-4. Volume III, "A Century of Advance", Book Four, "East Asia". Plate 364. In the caption, Lach and van Kleyn identify the performing animals as mice and rats.
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- ^ "General Information – Advice for the Novice Breeder". National Fancy Rat Society. 3 May 2008. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
- ^ Isaksen, Mary Ann (January 1999). "Breeding: Can YOU Live With It?". Rat & Mouse Gazette. Rat & Mouse Club of America. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
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- ^ Watts, David. "Pet Rats – Rat Care – Ronnie and Derek". Pet Rats – Ronnie and Derek. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
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Ambient temperatures >85°F (29.4°C), high humidity levels (>80%), poor ventilation, and overcrowding predispose rodents to heat exhaustion.
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Rats also come into their own in supernatural fiction or dark fantasy, where they tend to represent invasive evil....
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External links
- Rat Behavior and Biology – A website with referenced articles that pertain to the scientific study of the domesticated Norway rat.
- Rat Guide – An online resource with information about fancy rat health and treatment of illness
Organisations
- American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (USA) (AFRMA)
- The National Fancy Rat Society (UK) (NFRS)
- Rat and Mouse Club of America (USA) (RMCA)
- The Midlands Rat Club (UK) (MRC)
- Rat Club (NZ) (RC)
- Associazione Italiana Ratti - Rat Rescue Italia ODV (IT)