Acacia Rat pups

[BrainGirl]

Do I see a parti-coloured pup in there? I thought they were always brownish!

[LyddicleaveBurrow]

Hi BrainGirl,

There is quite a variation in the wild colour of Acacia Rats. They vary from fawn to steel grey. Most have the characteristic dark eye circles, but in some rats these eye rings can be light or absent.

The banded form has been bred by German breeders for some time, but it is still rare. The banded colour is a recessive colour, and just as in banded Syrian Hamsters the band can vary from a wide broken band to a narrow clean band. The German breeders have been attempting to produce rats with a clean clear white band from the middle of the body to just before the end of the rump - as with all marked animals this is very difficult to get.

Although there may be others I only know of one other banded pup other than my own that has turned up in a litter in the UK so far.

My own banded pup is a little female and I have named her Afrika. Her siblings are a male called Naadir, and another female called Akinyi. Afrika is a confident, mischievious character, Akinyi is calmer and quieter, and Naadir is a quiet, highly intelligent pup. He will sit and weigh up every situation and often sits on his hanging ladder watching the world go by.

Here are some pics of the pups that were taken this afternoon.

Heather.

[Raii]

Hey Guys

I Have Recently Bought 4 Acacia Rats. I Have One Adult Male One Adult Female One Young Female One Baby Female.

The Baby Female Is A Banded Acacia Rat Her Mother Who I Have Is An African Acacia Rat. They Are All Very Loving And Very Cute

Easily Tamed And Very Friendly

Okay So The Question I Wanted To Ask Was When Is The Breeding Season???
And
How Do You Know When And If They Are Pregnant?

[Vectis Hamstery]

I don't think many people on this forum have acacia rats. I am getting a pair soon, but as pets rather than breeding. The Crittery website has lots of useful information about exotic rodents and there is the Exotic Keepers Forum if you have questions. That said, the principles of researching before breeding are still important for exotics, perhaps more so as the species are less well known than hamsters which have been kept as pets in the UK for about a century longer than acacia rats. Think Before You Breed!

[littlepeanut]

Wows, they are lovely. I love the long tails. Incredibly beautiful