Pair of ASFs

[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?

[Ranegyr]

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

[Jay_Bunny]

Thanks! I will check out the caresheet.

[anatess]

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?

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...

[Jay_Bunny]

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).

[Clear]

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

[Bruce Whitehead]

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

[Jay_Bunny]

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.

[Bruce Whitehead]

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

[Jay_Bunny]

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?