African Soft furred

[TekWarren]

They are coming (have been) into the trade. I see them at shows, just keep your eyes open. I think they are spreading fast and propagating faster.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

I would like to raise them just out of curiosity, but havn't found any locally.

The biting point is a major negative, as I have a ton of rats now and can count on two fingers how many times I've been bitten in 9 months.

[Larry Suttles]

I would like to raise them just out of curiosity, but havn't found any locally.

The biting point is a major negative, as I have a ton of rats now and can count on two fingers how many times I've been bitten in 9 months.

There pretty much at most shows now days and fairly reasonable as far as pricing goes.

Their bitters for sure but they can probably be tamed down a tad with regular handling if you really tried. Just wear some welding gloves

[TekWarren]

I wouldn't let the biting factor deter anyone...all animals will bite given the circumstances.

Like Larry said, you could handle them regularly. I don't handle my growing colony other than necessary and they are not biting me when I get into their tubs.

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

I heard the word bite and the word rat in the same sentence and I wince. Ive been bitten badly by a few rats, the second time through thick leather gloves

So when you say they are bitey, do you mean nippy? Or do they mean business?

[Wolfsnaps]

I have only had mine about three days. They are very small yet and all they do is hide. I named them breakfast, LUnch and Dinner. I hope they will provide me with many side entrees. Lunch is my larger female and she is quite bold, exploring and eating already. I haven't picked them up yet since they are stressed but I did get to pet Breakfast, She is very soft and just sat there...Porbably scared out of her mind. They are cute, I don't think they look like regular rats at all...

Larry, you have a very cute rat there.

I got mine at a retile show. If there is a show near you, you should check it out. Shipping live animals is a pain or I would sell you some of my future babies.

[wolfy-hound]

Come get some of mine. Aren't the fuzzys the ugliest things ever? Remind me of a half-fledged bird.
Wolfy

[Larry Suttles]

Larry, you have a very cute rat there.

Thanx

[MarkS]

Do you keep them in plastic tubs or glass tanks? I've heard that they are chewers too. What kind of feed do you use? Same stuff as for regular rats?

Mark

[Larry Suttles]

Hey Mark, I don't find them to be as bad as gerbils when it comes to chewing but they are bad no less. I keep all the groups of 1.2 in rat mommy bins b/c they would chew a home depot tub in no time. My mommy bins are all 1/4 hardwire cloth and they tend to be a bare by chewing the food through the cloth and not eating it so I think 1/8 would be a better choice. I've been using the same feed Mazuri lab blocks with success ie large litters and heathly babies with mommy recovering just fine.

hope this helps