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The fancy rat (Rattus norvegicus domestica) is the domesticated form of Rattus norvegicus, the brown rat, [1] and the most common species of rat kept as a pet.The name fancy rat derives from the use of the adjective fancy for a hobby, also seen in "animal fancy", a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals.
Some of these small mammals are prohibited from being kept as pets in certain jurisdictions for being invasive; California, [3] Hawaii, Alberta and New Zealand have strict regulations to protect their native environments and agricultural operations. Gerbils, degus, and domesticated rats have various prohibitions on their ownership.
While the desert kangaroo rats do consume available water, [8] the vast majority of their water requirements are met from byproducts of metabolic processes. Adaptation to very low quantities of water (free or metabolic) is highlighted by the very long water turnover [11] times for the species, on the order of 2–3 weeks. [12]
During the wintry months, rats will huddle into piles – usually cheek-to-cheek – to control humidity and keep the air warm as a heat-conserving function. Just like elderly rats are commonly groomed and nursed by their companions, nestling rats especially depend on heat from their mother, since they cannot regulate their own temperature.
Hay is composed of grasses that have been cut and then dried. Although hay is most commonly used for food, it also can be used for the purpose of animal bedding. This may result in an insufficient diet for the animal if it begins eating its bedding. In addition, old hay may give off the dust that could result in respiratory problems.
Kangaroo rats lose water mainly by evaporation during gas exchange, and so have developed a behavioural adaptation to prevent this loss. As they spend a lot of time within their burrows to escape the heat of the day, the burrows become much more humid than the air outside (due to evaporative loss).
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The most common way that fat sand rats acquire water in the desert environment is by ingesting plants such as Atriplex halimus, which are high in water content and provide the rodent with preformed water when they are consumed. [10] As a result of this strategy, fat sand rats do not need to drink free-standing water. [11]