i need your thoughts and opinions

I would try. I thnk only good could come of it (other than possible parasite issues). If they are the same family (rats) than they should breed with no problem. We all know how fast rodents multiply...You could create a cool large hybrid if these warf rats aren't just regular rats that are eating really well on the docks and getting huge. Imagine a line of rats as big as cats! WHat possibilities in the reptile world.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I would suggest you segregate all the wild rats and any domestic rat that's been exposed to them immediately. Have fecals done on the whole lot (some parasites can infect babies prior to birth). Once you know they are either disease free or you have treated them, then the next thing I'd personally be concerned about is temperment. Temperment in rats is shown to be heavily gentic. Domesticated rats are generally bred for it to some degree to make them easier to handle (I cull out any breeder that shows an aggressive temperment). I'd watch very carefully that you aren't introducing poor temperment into a stable rat population by introducing wild bloodlines. A rat bite, especially from a large rat, is nothing to sneeze at....they can easily bite you to the bone and slash at you faster than you can begin to react to it. Rat bites tend to fester quickly.

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right now the wild rats and the female that nursed them are quarentined from the other rats we have . the females own babies were euthanized and frozen for future feeding . though i admit we hadnt thought about doing a fecal before using them for breeding , i think i will suggest it to my boss . i'm pretty sure that he will agree to this .
they dont seem to be overly aggresive , but they are extemely hyper active . i have handled all three several times and none have even attempted to bite . they mostly just try to get away when taken out of their incloser . i know this can change as they get older , but i have been working with them to try to get them adjusted to being handled . they are still skittish , but they seem to be getting better about being handled . i'm still using gloves to handle them as i just dont trust them any more than they trust me right now . i dont think they will ever make good "pets" .

i work at the petshop tomorrow so i'll get some pics then for yall to look at . they are actually very pretty if you ask me . they have a solid dark grey coat with a solid black tail .

sounds like gloves may be a good idea for these guys then

ok , here are the pics of the little boogers . they really did not like having their pics taken at all . i had to get one of the other guys i work with to take the pics cause i couldnt do that and hold the rats up at the same time . i think the flash upsets them cause this was the first time any of them ever tried to bite me . 2 of the three bit my glove but it wasnt like they really tried to bite hard , more of an experimental tasting i'd say , lol .

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...r/IM000717.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...r/IM000716.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...r/IM000715.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...r/IM000714.jpg

a couple things i'd like to make a note of for yall . these guys drink very little water at all and have almost no smell !! they deficate much less than domestic rats even though they are voracious eaters . they are super hyperactive literally bouncing off the sides , top and floor of the cage when disturbed . they do not come out during the day at all only at night . they are very secretive and if left with no hide they will burrow into the bedding to hide . they also seem much more inteligent then the domestic rats .

this is how i actually get them out of their cage , i open the cage reach in and grab the hide , pull it out and slam the lid down emediatelly . once they finish bouncing off the walls and burrow in i then grab one by the tail pull it out fast slam the lid closed again because the other two will do their pinball rutine all over again . these critters are like super rats on steroids and crack all at the same time . i dont think i would want to try to feed them live to a snake , they'd have an advantage over the snake.

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Originally Posted by markface

i dont think i would want to try to feed them live to a snake , they'd have an advantage over the snake.

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That's funny.

Introducing new genetics is usually a good thing ... but there is nothing that says these "wild" rats have new genes introduced, chances are they are just as inbred or even more so than lab rats. Most labs offer an "outbred" strain or two. With labs these tend to be new genes as they will have rats shipped in from other countries/parts of the country to diversify.

Wild strains are more susceptible to most diseases. Lab strains are somewhat resistant to disease since they are constantly exposed to it. One lab rat escaping into a wild colony can literally kill off the entire colony.

As you mentioned the wilds are super active ... lab breeding has made them a bit more docile.

While everyone knows someone that has "seen a rat killing a cat, eating a dog, been mistaken for a cat" or other stories like that I have yet to see any over 3 lbs. Even in my jumbo lines males seldom get over 800 grams (just under 2 lbs), and they are specifically bred for size.

Most rats originated from the Norweigan rat. The only reason "wharf rats" may seem bigger is they may have easier access to higher protein foods (seafood).

There is also all of the parasite problems discussed above. Wilds can bring in fleas (cause of the bubonic plague), mites, ticks,

All in all ... unless you have a very specific reason for raising truly wild strains its safer and easier to stay away from them.

Bryan