Wild rat

Ok this is weird.. I came back from vacation yesterday and 2 of my rats were dead, so I put them in the outside trash can (sealed).

I opened the trash can today to put some more trash in it and I found this girl looking up at me. I don't even know how it got in there.

Is it OK to use wild rats? It looks like a female that I can use. Should I just let it go or what?

I've never even seen a wild rat in Florida. Maybe it smelled the other rats

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...8/PIC-0034.jpg

Are you sure that one of your dead rats wasn't? That's not a wild rat.

yeah what she said. Not at all a wild rat. Norway rats are bigger and meaner and not at all albino.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Are you sure that one of your dead rats wasn't? That's not a wild rat.

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Trust me they were dead and were already stinking.

I have no idea where this one came from?

What should I do with it?

Just curious, what color were the dead rats?

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Just curious, what color were the dead rats?

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One was a black hooded rex and one was all white.

I'm pretty sure your white one wasn't dead. There aren't wild albino rats, they'd be picked off pretty quicly by predators. A wild one wouldn't be staying still long enough on a counter to get a picture.

not knowing were it came from to be honest, I'd put it down.

1. Letting it go is not an option, its not native and being a snake person when your neighbors find it in their garage your getting a nasty phone call really quickly.

2. There is always the chance that it just got done munching on some rat poison as well so feeding it off just is not a good idea.

Better safe than sorry

And, if you really want to be sure, open the bag that you put the two dead rats in. If the white one is gone (which I bet it will be), you'll know for sure.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Are you sure that one of your dead rats wasn't? That's not a wild rat.

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I agree it isn't a wild rat...but could be an escapee from someone else who breeds. Either way I wouldn't use her...you have no idea where she has been or what she has been into. She could track all sorts of bugs/diseases into your colony or pass on something to her offspring that could make it to your snakes - not worth the risks :)

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Originally Posted by rabernet

And, if you really want to be sure, open the bag that you put the two dead rats in. If the white one is gone (which I bet it will be), you'll know for sure.

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Well you were right.. The white one was missing and one of the containers in the trash bag was eaten though. That's pretty crazy though, I wouldn't have put a live rat in the trash can. It was pretty dead yesterday.

I guess i'll give this one a bath and put it back in the cage with the others

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Originally Posted by Snikt228

I guess i'll give this one a bath and put it back in the cage with the others

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I wouldn't! For some reason you thought is was dead...so something is wrong with it. Also, who knows what it ate in the trash can. I would keep it seperate like it is a new rat for a few weeks to make sure it is OK.

Quarantine it just to be safe. Could it have been dehydrated or overheated in the enclosure to the point where it appeared lifeless, then cooled off enough outside to perk back up?

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Quarantine it just to be safe. Could it have been dehydrated or overheated in the enclosure to the point where it appeared lifeless, then cooled off enough outside to perk back up?

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It's possible I guess, but this is Florida and it's like 95 outside and humid, so it had to be 100+ in the trash can

Ack I always forget some of you people live south of me LOL.

heavy sleeper? epileptic?