Pair of ASFs

We got a pair of ASF's from a guy looking to find them a new home. Each came with their own 10g tank, hides, bedding, water bottles, and food dishes. Both are fully grown. I've heard that ASFs are aggressive and territorial. How best can I find out if they are male or female? Is there any hopes of breeding them if I find out they are opposite sexes?

The ASF care sheets on here are very helpful. There are sexing guides with pics. In my limited knowledge (as i am new to ASF's also) i don't know about putting them together as adults. from what i have read they should be introduced to each other as juvies. otherwise, they might fight and you could potentially lose one. they do best in colonies of at least 1.1 but can go up to 1.6+ if you need that many babies.

mike cavanaugh on is is addicted to his ASF's. he might know if it is succesful introducing adults.

good luck

Thanks! I will check out the caresheet.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

We got a pair of ASF's from a guy looking to find them a new home. Each came with their own 10g tank, hides, bedding, water bottles, and food dishes. Both are fully grown. I've heard that ASFs are aggressive and territorial. How best can I find out if they are male or female? Is there any hopes of breeding them if I find out they are opposite sexes?

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Get a pair of long hemostats or long tongs. Wrap the tip with duct tape (well, anything to soften the tip) and pick up the rat with the tongs by the tail. You should be able to see their bottoms then. If the 2 holes on their bottoms are far apart, then they're males. If they're close together, they're females. If the rat is big enough, you can also see their scrotum bulging out - but sometimes when they're hanging by their tail, the scrotum lays flat to their bodies so it's hard to tell from that. Anyway, there are pictures up there somewhere on one of the stickies...

I think they are both males. I used some gardening gloves to hold them by the tail. These two are huge! At first I thought they were all fluff, but no, they are all pudge. When I looked I saw the anus and a ways down I saw what I'm guessing is the penis. There is a good inch or so of distance between the two, so I'm pretty sure they are boys. I tried to get pictures but my camera won't work. (this is after the cats knocked it off a table).

Just put some gloves and and grab them by the tails.

A lot of work to sex an ASF... let it run on a wheel... you can see the testes.

If you can sex a rat or a mouse you can sex an ASF.

Gloves and tongs? Just take them gently by the tail and lift.

Bruce

I did. And I concluded they must be boys. The question is, can I introduce females to either of them, or are they never suitable for breeding since they were not grouped with females young.

I would not suggest it personally. But never say never. If they have been alone why mess with it?

Any place you can find females, you will be able to find males. So if the oppurtunity arises to get females, just get an established (or young) grouping with both sexes.

If you ever do decide to introduce them to others, then I would follow the same protocols used when introducing gerbils and other territorial rodents.

Bruce

These came from a pet store that was closing, and I didn't even know there was a pet store in town that sold ASFs. I haven't been able to find them anywhere and I was about to go online for some when this guy offered us this pair of males. Any idea where I can get ASFs near Richmond?

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Originally Posted by Bruce Whitehead

A lot of work to sex an ASF
Bruce

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For you sexing rodents is a lot of work anyway (don’t make me get the pictures out :rofl:)

To sex my ASF I do just like I do with mice, holding them by the tail.

Mine have never tried to bite, not sure if I am lucky or if they get better after each generations like mice :rolleyes:

Hah... I never suggested she take them to the beach. We all know... boy rodents wear blue onesies... and girls wear two piece pink numbers. That is how I sex my rodents and it works for me. :)


As far as finding females, I would just check Kijiji... that is where I sell mine when I have extras. And pet store supplier are dogs! They only ever release males.

Bruce

What is Kijiji?

Males are okay to introduce new girls to. It's the girls once they been bred that are pissy and kill intruders.

If they are past the weaning age, their boy bits will be quite obvious even to the untrained eye and I really suck at sexing rats. Connie does that way more often than I do.

www.kijiji.com *Other pets for sale* is where you find exotics.

Didn't find anything. I might just put up an ad here asking for asf females in Virginia. I'm not in any hurry to breed ASF's just yet. I'm focusing on my mice for right now. Thanks for showing me Kijiji though.