asf RATS as pets

[SiscoReptiles]

I just think the ASF Rats, as a whole, get a bum rap. People make them out to be "agressive" when it fact it's more to do with timidness. Once you handle them enough you can get them over the timidness. I am unsure if you can encourange them to become social as a standard domestic rat.

Rick

[kellysballs]

I saw ASFR in a pet store in Melbourne labeled as "Giant Mice". I asked the "rodent guy'' If they were in fact African Soft Furred Rats and the answer I got was "oh no these are definitely not rats." I then asked were they were from and the guy side stepped and didn’t answer me.

I think the consumer should have full disclosure on what they are buying, so at the very least they can get accurate info on the animal. As for the price these guys were $9.99. I do believe in supply and demand. If no one purchases the animal the price will come down. Just watch the classifieds on anything, or the clearance section at stores.

In our collection of ASFR we have some biters but they are all the remaining originals. Their offspring will let us handle them to clean out there cages and we can pet them too. I do admit we have a few that will come across the cage to bite you, but only a few of those are left.

[SiscoReptiles]

I saw ASFR in a pet store in Melbourne labeled as "Giant Mice". I asked the "rodent guy'' If they were in fact African Soft Furred Rats and the answer I got was "oh no these are definitely not rats." I then asked were they were from and the guy side stepped and didn’t answer me.

I definantly agree with full disclosure. If a petshop wants to call them this or that doesn't matter to me, but they should list where they are from, as well as other common names they have. For example, the local family run petshop that I frequent and volunteer at sells "Smiling Tree Frogs" but it also states on the tank "Also known as White's Tree Frogs or Dumpy Tree Frogs".

They should also explain, that like a hamster, they are jumpy and timid and, also like a hamster, they can nip if cornered or grabbed. You need to work with them so that they don't fear you. If you reach in and pick them up everyday they tame quickly. If you reach in once a week during cleaning and only pick them up by the tail to remove them from the tank, they are not going to tame very well.

In our collection of ASFR we have some biters but they are all the remaining originals. Their offspring will let us handle them to clean out there cages and we can pet them too.

I am glad your current generations have become tamer. As with the silver fox experiments, if you remove the nippers and only breed the tamest, you will have tamer and tamer ASF's each generation, but I do honestly think that social interation will help too.

[SiscoReptiles]

Let me add that I don't really think of the ASF's as Rats. They are more like a mouse in nearly every aspect. They just get a bit larger. I concider them "ASF Mice".

Rick

[CntrlF8]

Let me add that I don't really think of the ASF's as Rats. They are more like a mouse in nearly every aspect. They just get a bit larger. I concider them "ASF Mice".

Rick

One of our local breeders here calls them "Ghana Mice" too...