Fun Trivia » Animals » Pet Rodents » Domestic Rats

If I had my way, I'd use all four of those interchangeably since rats love to squeak, bother and scrabble as well as they love to make mischief! However, mischief is the answer. Difficulty: Hard.

 

a squeak, a botheration, a scrabble

Other correct terms for a group of rats are: colony, horde and swarm. Personally, I think a mischief of rats describes our pet rats the best. Difficulty: Hard.

 

a tribe, a band, a sneak

The black rat (Rattus rattus) was the host for the flea that carried the plague and wiped out large populations of people in medieval times. What most people don't know is that the rat was as much a victim of the plague, if not more, than people. The flea much preferred rats to people and only moved onto people when the rat population diminished. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Brown rat, Kangaroo rat, Gambian rat

Did you know you can teach rats to do tricks, e.g., jumping from one place to another? Difficulty: Hard.

Because of the lack of water in the desert, kangaroo rats get most of their water in the form of moisture in the foods they eat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

10 feet, 35 feet, 2 feet

Rats backwards spells 'star' many people think rats are star pets. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Rattus, Doe, Ratty

 

bad luck symbol, messenger of the gods, good eatin'

The generally accepted size is about 2 cubic feet per rat, but bigger is better! Rats need room to play, eat, and have a bathroom corner. Larger cages will also help reduce squabbles between cage mates competing over resources or a favorite spot. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Big enough for the rat to turn around., Big enough to fit their toys. Too large a cage is overwhelming to a rat., Rats don't need cages, just let them run around the house!

Most of the time our pets are happy and will brux occasionally when content. Bruxing helps grind the teeth down so that they are a healthy length. Bruxing does not necessarily mean a rat is happy however, since they will also grind their teeth in frustration or when they are very ill. Difficulty: Hard.

 

content, frustrated, distressed

When the pink eye gene dilutes agouti, you get silverfawn. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Black, White, Blue

 

ear rat, big eared rat, giant ratty

 

cacti, abandoned burrows, seaside

When a rat bruxes it is generally contented and relaxed. It has been likened to a cat's purr. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Scraping, Grinding, Quivering

Rattus norvegicus is the latin name for the common brown rat, otherwise known as the Norway rat (hence the Norvegicus). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rattus rattus, Tylomys bullaris, Sigmodon arizonae

There are over 200 breeds of rats in the world. Difficulty: Easy.

 

buck, mare, rattus

Rats with this body type are called Dumbos, after the Disney elephant. While their prominent ears don't enable them to fly, they certainly make them adorable! Difficulty: Hard.

 

an Elf, a Pinocchio, a Miller

Reddish discharge called porphyrin is sometimes seen around the eyes and nose of a rat when it is ill. It is often mistaken for blood. Porphyrin is a pigmented secretion produced by a gland behind the eye. The pressence of porphyrin may indicate that your rat is stressed, and you should watch your rat closely for any signs of illness. Toxic beddings like cedar and pine can cause the production of excess porphyrin. Difficulty: Hard.

 

erythrocin, blood, pigmentocin

The strain of Mycoplasma that rats carry will not transmit to human beings. Humans have their own strains of myco that can affect respiratory tract, salivary tract and genital tract. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma agalactiae, Mycoplasma hominis

Mycoplasmosis is found in every rat unless it has been specially brought up as a myco-free animal in sterile lab conditions. Mycoplasma is a very primitive bacterium that infects baby rats as they come in contact with their mother's birth canal or as soon as she starts licking them. Myco symptoms usually appear when the rat is stressed and immune system is low. Myco will usually appear in the respiratory tract as wheezing, sneezing and rattling, but less commonly will attack the reproductive system causing sterility. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Pneumonia, Rhinovirus, Asthma

Rats should be housed with two or more rats so they don't get lonely. Difficulty: Hard.

 

4 years, 1 year, 3 and a half years

The black rat was one of the main rats that helped to spread the fleas around during the bubonic plauge. Difficulty: Hard.

Does are receptive to bucks on average every 5 to 6 days, and this can often be observed by the vibration of the doe's ears and hunch-backed stance when her hindquarters are approached. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Once a month, Every 2 - 3 days, Every 8 - 10 days

The traditional Japanese belief is that the rat is a messenger of the gods. It is considered unlucky to be born in the year of the rat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

4, 7, 12

We would call the dominant rat the 'Alpha' rat. The Alpha rat can be male or female (female and male rats are generally kept in separate cages). Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Fat rat, Rat A, Proto-rat

Wild rats from London were domesticated around 200 years ago in the early 1800s by 'Rat Catchers' who started breeding them. The first colour variation produced was albino. Difficulty: Hard.

 

about 100 years ago, about 50 years ago, about 25 years ago

Cedar is the most dangerous of woods and shouldn't be used as bedding at all. Pine is less so, but still should be avoided. The more odour the shavings emit, the stronger the concentration of phenols. Difficulty: Average.

 

Hormones, Pesticides, Fungus

Rats came to England on boats in the 14th century, and with them came the plague due to their fleas carrying the virus. Difficulty: Hard.

 

hooded, black and white, black fawn

That's a lot faster than in humans. Difficulty: Hard.

 

720-1000, 100-440, 580-990

Phenols (also called aromatic hydrocarbons) give pine and cedar their pleasant scent. However, these phenols are absorbed by a rat's respiratory lining and enter the blood. The toxins damage the respiratory tract, and also cause liver enzyme elevation. Exposure to toxins is a stress on the body can despress the immune system. Safe beddings include paper-based bedding, and bedding made from hardwood like aspen and maple. Difficulty: Hard.

 

lignin, tanins, preservatives

S. aureus is a bacteria occurring naturally on the skin and can enter the foot via small scratches causing the condition known as Bumblefoot. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus intermedius

Unfortunately the short length of life is one of the down sides of owning a pet rat. Although 2 - 3 years is the average, some rats have been known to live to 4 or even 5 years. Difficulty: Hard.

 

1 - 2, 4 - 5, 10 - 12

Rats have been bred disease free for 200 years. The fleas were carried on rats which then spread around Europe, carrying the bacteria to unsuspecting Europeans. Difficulty: Average.

 

cats, dogs, birds

Although rats CAN eat just about anything, there are many foods that are damaging to their health. Raw sweet potato contains cyanide-forming compounds. Orange juice contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats. Avocado is high in fat, but can be a wonderful addition to a rat's diet, however the pit, rind, skin and leaves of avocados are toxic. The part of the fruit in contact with the pit has a higher concentration of toxins.

This information, as well as a full list of forbidden foods for rats can be found here: http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm Difficulty: Hard.

 

Yes, raw mushrooms, peas, and carrots, to name a few., No, rats can eat anything and be just fine., Yes, rats hate veggies just as much as kids hate them!

Because a rat's tail is bare, it lacks insulation and loses heat. When a rat is hot, more blood flows to the tail to help it lose heat. When a rat is cold, less blood flows to the tail, conserving heat. Difficulty: Hard.

 

nose, tongue, face

It sounds like a hummingbird! Difficulty: Hard.

 

80 - 190, 800 - 900, 20 - 100

Rats are very different from mice. They have a different temperment and their size is different. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rattus rattus, Ratumusculus, Musculurattus

Lying inland and surrounded mostly by territory inhospitable to rats, Alberta did not have a rat within its borders until 1950. A government control programme involving government workers and the citizens ensued and wiped out all the rats in Alberta. No one may keep a rat as a pet in Alberta, and the only rats you'll find there are used for research. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island

 

Twitches, Scampers, Bob

 

hooded, champagne, mink

Sneezing is not always a sign of illness. It can just be a sign of stress, but is usually cause to watch more closely. Respiratory illness is the most common health issue rats face. Scabs and bald patches on the fur indicate a possible parasitic infection.

Small amounts of reddish-orange discharge around the eyes and nose are normal due to porphyrin in their saliva, mucus, and tears. Rats can not vomit. Darkening of the skin on the tail is usually just dirt. Difficulty: Average.

 

Small amounts of reddish-orange discharge around the eyes and nose., Vomiting., Darkening of the skin on the tail.