ASF rat colony taking off...

[hartsock]

I stated with 1.3 group about a month and a half ago (I think). They certianly are slow growers compared to mice, but they are fun. I have 8 that are almost weened from the first litter, 3 that are in fuzzy stage from another first litter (only three born) and now Christmas day we awoke to this:

There are 18 pinks and the 3 fuzzies in that little ball. Two of them dropped at the same time.

Here's where the adults like to hang out when I start messing around. Nice sweet dispositions until you reach for the nest, then all heck breaks loose. I have had them all charge my hand at once. But if I let the babies alone, they will let me pet them and do anything else, just need to let the pinks alone:

Excuse the dirty cage, tomorrow is cleaning day. They get cleaned out once a week or so and I will say that it is true, there is no to very little smell with these things.

 

[DragonBoy]

Great Pictures thank you for sharing them. Pardon my ignorance but I have never seen rats like these before. What does the ASF stand for? They look smaller than a standard domestic Rat but I would guess larger than a typical mouse. Years back I had what was called "spiny Mice" which supposedly hailed from Egypt. They had a 60 day plus gestation but like a guinea pig the babies were born with full fir and eyes open etc. I am alergic to mice so I raise hamsters as a "small prey" item but these guys do look interesting. Thanks
Scott

 

[hartsock]

ASF = African Soft Fur Rats

They get about the size of your standard computer mouse. There is another name for them which I know, but for some reason I can't come up with it at the moment. These guys are suppose to be famous for getting stubborn Ball Pythons to eat. I am not sure on all the details of the gestation because for now I have been letting my oldest daughter keep them more or less as "pets" in her room. But once the first litter is weened, I am going to set them up in a rack system (leave the original group in her room though) and I'll keep detailed notes then. I can tell you that I had a litter of mice born the same time as these guys first litter and they are at sexual maturity already compared to the rats who aren't fully weened yet.

 

[SnakesRule1234]

Cool... I really want these guys.. They're cute (yes, I said they are cute even though I'm icky about rodents) and because of their size my bp and corn and beauty would like them.. Where did you get the trio?

 

[toyah]

They're also known as multimammate mice/rats.

I found mine were slower growers than mice, but I changed their diet to a more grain mix, and gave them plenty of millet and other seeds/nuts, and they now grow at a very comparable speed. Can I ask what you're feeding your guys?

 

[hartsock]

They're also known as multimammate mice/rats.

I found mine were slower growers than mice, but I changed their diet to a more grain mix, and gave them plenty of millet and other seeds/nuts, and they now grow at a very comparable speed. Can I ask what you're feeding your guys?

That's it...don't know why I was having a brain fart this morning...

I am feeding mine a mix of lab block, the hamster mix that the local petstore sells, add in some cheerios and a critter mix that has corn and sunflower seeds and some little black things. I just started this mix 2 days ago, I had been giving them primarliy the hamster mix along with cheerios from time to time. They also get fresh veggies (mainly carrots) at least once a week, sometimes twice.

 

[PugnCorn]

We are going to be getting a pair of these, to breed to feed our corns. I don't think we would bother but we live almost 2 hours away from the closest pet store and it is way more cost effective for us.

 

[susang]

Very cool little rats. I just googled them to find out more about them. They are also called natal rats, and are named mutimammate becuase they have more nipples then other rats. It said there average litter is 8 and the gestation is 23 days but anywhere from 21-26 is common. It also said they have no odor, which is possibly why some snakes prefer them. I just love google. susang

 

[hartsock]

Very cool little rats. I just googled them to find out more about them. They are also called natal rats, and are named mutimammate becuase they have more nipples then other rats. It said there average litter is 8 and the gestation is 23 days but anywhere from 21-26 is common. It also said they have no odor, which is possibly why some snakes prefer them. I just love google. susang

Natal! Yes, that's the other name...goodness what I have done in the last few days to lose this many brain cells? Whatever it was, it must have been good because I can't remember any of it either! I think maybe I have been reading too many of the lolcat and lolsnake pics on this site, lol.

The odor thing is very true. Many people I have talked to on forums has said they are aggressive and can be nippy, but I haven't found that at all. at the petstore, I could reach into a tank full of males and not one tried to nip me. Of course if you put your finger in front of their face, they will look, sniff and nibble; but then I'll do that to you to if you stick your finger in my face.

little ones don't mind being picked up, but will only stay in your hand for a second and they have earned a name change from "hopper size" to "leaper size". They will spring off your hand into nothingness just for the sake of jumping. Fun, Fun, Fun...even if you don't raise them for breeders, they make a neat little odd pet!

 

[Dale]

I have a breeder that stocks these about 2 hours away, and was debating grabbing a trio. I've heard mixed reviews though and don't know what to think.

Everyone says, miracle workers for Balls, but so many other snakes (Corns and Boas included) turn their nose up at them. Then I've seen some say their corns are taking them. Any definitive info?

 

[hartsock]

I honestly can't say yet. The colony hasn't gotten to the place where I am starting to feed them off yet. The baby and juvi corns I have are on mice and I got so many of them I wanted to get these guys up to adult hood before I try them on the larger corns or the ball or the blood python or the russian rat snake or the boas (lol, I could go on). I know my two cats would just love to get into the cage with them, but as far as the snakes, at this point IDK. Another month and I'll be trying one from the first litter with a corn and I'll let you know. I really hope they do take them, if not I guess I got a crap load of pets, lol.

I have heard mixed reviews on them too, but more than not the people that I have talked to that breed these say they are the staple of their feeders. Anyway if balls will eat them without a problem I guess I'll need to go out and get a few more ball pythons.

 

[toyah]

I have a breeder that stocks these about 2 hours away, and was debating grabbing a trio. I've heard mixed reviews though and don't know what to think.

Everyone says, miracle workers for Balls, but so many other snakes (Corns and Boas included) turn their nose up at them. Then I've seen some say their corns are taking them. Any definitive info?

Not definitive, but my experience is that I've not had any issue getting my corns to eat them at all. Every single one of my corns who will eat mice, will also eat multis instead without any hassle. They tend to get a mixture, just depending on what I defrost, I don't particularly make an effort with deciding who will get what. My hatchings are also fed a mixture or mouse and multi pinks/fuzzies without any issue.

I do have some non-feeders who would not *touch* a mouse pink no matter how it's disguised, but who eat multimammates without a problem. So the multis have probably saved the life of a few corns here.