Multimammate Mouse, Common African Rat, Soft-furred or African Soft-furred Rat

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Please clean their enclosure's at least once a week. .

I have to respectibly disagree with this. I am on a 2 week cleaning schedule, and have been for a long time.

[littleindiangirl]

I admit I haven't a true idea of exactly how large a 10 gallon tankis that you are using, or what numbers you keep them at, but I have let mine go once or twice to a two week period and it was pretty disgusting. (The 54 and 66qt tubs)

So I guess we will just disagree on that point.

[shadi11]

Notice, just because you can't smell them, doesn't mean they dont smell, or that they aren't pooping and peeing all day long and have to live in it.

Please clean their enclosure's at least once a week. I again, understand no one but ME can smell these ASF's, but I apparently have a very sensitive nose to them because after one week the smell makes me want to get sick. I have grown more used to it now, but it's still a very strong (although not largly permeating) odor.

Saying you only need to change them when YOU smell them is not sanitary, given they are living right in it and on top of it, and are far more capable than us with scent sensitivity, you should clean it more often to prevent the bacteria growth from their excrements. Especially seeing as how most of them choose one spot to pee and poop in, it's terribly unhealthy to let them sit in it for weeks at a time.

I have the same problem. I cant go over a week without being horrified by the smell. But I think I have a strong sensitivity to them as well. I seem to be the only one who has an issue. And normally will have a breathing issue as well. As long as they are cleaned once a week I have no real issue though. Summer months I usually clean twice a week.

[FlowRock]

Hi sorry if this has been mentioned before, but how did the asf prices develop in the US. I bought mine for 3,50 € (1 € equals 1,40 $) and i know it was too much, cause i have seen them for 1 € at a local reptile show, but the shop was something similar to petco, I guess and I was in a shopping mood.
Just want to know , because the guy in the other thread seems to expect some financial offspring from breeding those fuzzies.

[greghall]

Hi sorry if this has been mentioned before, but how did the asf prices develop in the US. I bought mine for 3,50 € (1 € equals 1,40 $) and i know it was too much, cause i have seen them for 1 € at a local reptile show, but the shop was something similar to petco, I guess and I was in a shopping mood.
Just want to know , because the guy in the other thread seems to expect some financial offspring from breeding those fuzzies.

Hey I heard they came from Europe? as pets? is that true my German friend?

[FlowRock]

Well i have seen them quite a while ago, but was not that much interested in them, because i had no need for feeders and kept cats as pets in this time, but i am quite sure they have been available around 2002/2003 for sure. At this time the price was around 12,50 € ( at this time the dollar was bit worth more...)
Their biggest plus was their lack of smell, as far as i remember.

[syearout]

Wow, I can't believe the price some people are paying for these things. I've had them here in south central Kansas for a bit now, I didn't pay, nor do I ask, near what some of your guys are talking about........

[RandyRemington]

Like anything new and in demand people will charge what they can get. And if you are starting a colony you might pay a little extra for something nice as soon you'll have a ton of them and the per rat allocation for the high priced founders will be nothing. I didn't word that very well... Example, I paid $60 for my first 2.6. Just by luck they are very nice ASF's (although I found out the other day will bite if restrained, but don't run up to you and bite like other's I've seen). I also paid $16 for an unrelated 1.3. The first group costing me an extra $3.50 per rat is nothing when I consider the couple hundred offspring they have already produced. I fed the $16 1.3 off yesterday and am going to see if daughters from the one and only litter they ever produced do better (maybe the male was old in that group). I did sell my first animals recently, 1.3 for a $7 massive bag of bedding and two feeder mice.

Incidentally I paid nearly $20 for a hamster for my daughter's Christmas present yesterday. Cute little girl, black with white band around the middle. At those prices I think I'm going to have to find her a yellow gene male so she can sell calicos and I can stop paying allowance.

[juddb]

Incidentally I paid nearly $20 for a hamster for my daughter's Christmas present yesterday. Cute little girl, black with white band around the middle. At those prices I think I'm going to have to find her a yellow gene male so she can sell calicos and I can stop paying allowance.

Thats hilarious!

[JamieLynn]

Do they realy smell less? I am forced to breed due to living so far from a pet shop. I have both rats and mice, and if I don't clean every 3 days the room is horrid, and no matter what I use the smell comes back way too fast. I was wondering what are the cage space requirements on them? are they like rats and need a bunch of space, or do they make due with less? If they are so great, where can I find some in SD? I just wonder, I'm tired of these darn rats. I have a couple rats that are pets, but the rest just anoy me. Does anyone know anyone else who does not want ASF's anymoer but would trade for rats 2rats for 1 asf?
It seems I live in a dead zone, no reptile breeders, no rodent breeders, not even a pet shop within 50mi.