Gerbils, Hamsters, Rats, and Mice Ms. Cichon Rosholt High School

Gerbils

Facts Known as the sand rat 14 species Active in the day and night Easy to work with, gentle Has no special food or housing requirements Drinks little water Virtually odorless Seldom will bite

What does it look like? Approximately 6-8 inches from nose to tail. It has a short body and medium-long tail Hind legs are similar to those of a kangaroo Walk on all four Stands on hind legs The color is used to camouflage against sand and rock Now can be found in blacks and whites also

Characteristics Scent gland on its stomach Communicates through drumming Life expectancy is 2-4 years

Housing Gerbils should have more cage space than hamsters Same cage equipment Needs to be chew proof

Feeding Common grains: corn, oats, wheat, and barely Although gerbils love sunflower seeds they lead to obesity Green foods such as cabbage, carrots, turnips, and beets also add variety and are rich in minerals. (Use sparingly-leads to diarrhea) Water should always be available.

Handling Gerbil should be picked up by placing your hand over the back of the gerbil and encircling his body with your thumb and forefinger It should NEVER be picked up by the tail. The skin can break and pull off, leaving the tailbone exposed.

Diseases Respiratory infections are most common Symptoms: loss of appetite, constant sneezing, runny eyes and nose Nasal dermatitis, known as red nose Symptoms: hair loss or red, swollen areas of skin around the nose and muzzle Tyzzer’s disease

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Hamsters

Facts Golden hamster is the most abundant In 1931, young hamsters were shipped to the US Public Health Service Research Center in Carvill, Louisiana The true hamster has large black eyes and erect ears

What does it look like? Adult hamsters are 5-6 inches long with short stump of a tail Today the “Golden hamster” can be found in many different colors Long-haired or “teddy bear” Two colors or “piebald” Regular or satin fur Dwarf Hamsters

Characteristics Male hamsters have sweat glands on their flanks Hamsters are nocturnal Protective of their territory Hoarder of food More friendly when they are out of their cage After five weeks of age they should not have “friends” in their cage of they will fight If the temperature drops below 50 degree F they will go into hibernations

Housing Gnaw proof Aquariums Wire cages Water bottle most be able to hang Wheels are good for mental and physical health

Feeding Diet should contain corn, millet, wheat, oats, sorghum, and rape seed Don’t feed soft-types of food May eat dog food

Handling Do not disturb when sleeping If you must wake it tap the cage first Young hamsters should not be handled until their eyes are open Eye sight is not good

Diseases Wet Tail Symptoms: wetness around tail and rear areas caused by runny diarrhea, become weak, redness around anus Tyzzer’s disease, causes high death rates & highly contagious Symptoms: rough coats, diarrhea, lose weight, appear listless and inactive

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Rats

Facts They are apart of the Murinae family True rats form the genus Rattus Rattus contains species Believed to originate from Southern Asia Established in England in the 1200 and was the major reservoir for the Black Plague which killed more than ¼ of the population in the 1300s. Wild rats cause damage to eggs, fruit, stored grain, and vegetables, and they attack other animals.

What does it look like? The Black Rat – 7-8 inches long including head and body – Tail is longer then the head and body – Color is black or dark gray with brown on its belly – Excellent jumper The Brown Rat – 7-10 inches long head and body – Tail is always shorter than the body – Thicker and ears are shorter – Not a climber and lives in tunnels, burrows, sewers, and basements Varieties – Caused by mutations and selective breeding

Characteristics Use their scaly tail for balance Excellent swimmers – Submerge for 2-3 minutes Can jump up to 2 feet Very curious Clean and odor-free, clean & groom themselves or each other Domesticated seldom bite When they become upset they stiffen their body and arch their back They do best when they have other rat friends Primarily nocturnal In the wild they rarely live up to a year- Domesticated live up to 3 years

Housing 2 cubic feet per rat Very active and need large cage ability Gnaw on material Water bottle must be hung Bedding – Watch out for phenol, which can be toxic

Feeding Pellets are easy Treats should make up less than 10% of diet Vitamin and mineral supplements are available – At risk: if it intakes too much when drinking water it could refuse to drink any more water because of the taste difference Consume an ounce of water or more per day

Handling Grasp around the body behind the front legs May be picked up by the tail if close to the body Be careful of older rats Be careful if they are not tame- go slow NEVER be grasped at the tip of the tail- it WILL twist and squirm and the tail or skin can break loose

Diseases Respiratory infections are most common Symptoms: loss of appetite, constant sneezing, runny eyes and nose Pneumonia, Pasteurella, Bordetella, Mycoplasma, and Pseudomonas Symptoms: pneumonia like symptoms, respiratory Mites Symptoms: hair loss, skin irrigation, itching

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Mice

Facts 36 species Best known is the house mouse “Mouse” comes from an old Sanskrit word meaning “theif” From Asia- but now are around the world Claim to fame- reproduction (Greek) “Its raining mice” “mice are made of raindrops” Through careful breeding mice are now gentler and less timid than their ancestors

What does it look like? 2.5 to 3.5 inches including the tail 50 different fancy varieties 1.Self colors or mice of one color 2.Tans 3.Piebald (spots, patches, broken patterns) 4.Satin coat 5.More

Characteristics Eyes are very large but they can not see well They can hear VERY well Primarily nocturnal Prefer company of other mice Members of a colony leave urine markings Males produce more odor than females

Housing 72 square inches and 8 inches of height Same bedding as rats Bedding should be changed once a week Water bottle hung

Feeding Pellets are easy Needs corn, oats, wheat Mice love sunflower seeds but should be added sparingly Veggies are great – Dandelions, carrots, apples, date, raisins Mice will not over eat

Handling Can climb ropes climb ladders, run on wheels Should not be picked up at the end of the tail or napped at the neck When brought home they should be left alone from two days Stroke the mouse by its head and ears

Diseases Respiratory infections are most common Symptoms: loss of appetite, squeeking, rattling breath, running nose Pneumonia, Pasteurella, Bordetella, Mycoplasma, and Pseudomonas Symptoms: pneumonia like symptoms, respiratory Mites Symptoms: hair loss, skin irrigation, itching

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