Husbandry - Rodents Flashcards
What is a rodent?
A mammal with a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the uppper and lower jaw
How are rodentts that come into practice are divided into two groups?
Small rodents (hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils) & Herbivorous rodents (guinea pigs, chinchillas)
Describe similar attributes of small rodents
Myomorph s (mouse-like),
Elodont (open-rooted) incisors,
Anelodont (close-rooted) cheek teeth
Describe similar attributes of herbivorous rodents
Hystricomorphs (porcupine-like),
Elodont incisors + cheek teeth,
Hindgut fermenters
Describe the important features of a guinea pig
Short legged,
Round bodied,
Hindgut fermentors (gut takes up large portion of internal body space),
Relatively small chest cavity,
Coprophagic
Where does the majority of digestive processes occur in a guinea pig?
Colon + Caecum
When should female guinea pigs firsts be bred from
6-8 months (12 weeks ideal)
Why are female guines pigs first bred at a young age?
Pubic symphysis fuses after ~8 months → dystocia if bred from first time after this
What is the ideal guinea pig daily diet?
Ad lib hay + grass,
Small amount of good quality guinea pig-specific pellets,
Handful of leafy greens
What % of each macro should be fed to guinea pigs?
12-16% fibre + 18-20% crude protein
What should you avoid when feeding guinea pigs?
Careful with fruit (high sufar), Avoid commercial treat + mixes containing nuts & dried fruit
What vit are guinea pigs unable to synthesise?
C → required in diet
How much vit C are non-breeding adults require?
10mg vit c/kg body weight/day
How much vit C are breeding/lactating pr stressed/ill guinea pig require?
50mg vit C/kg body weight/day
How can we ensure that guinea pigs are receiving adequate amounts of vit C?
Feed complete (species specific) pelleted diet (don’t ingore use by or best before dates), Offer range of leafy greans, Supplement where necessary
What is the average daily water intake of guinea pigs?
100-200 ml/kg
Bottles or Bowls of water of guinea pigs?
Better with water bottles compared to rabbits
How should a guinea pig be housed?
Highly social - single sex groups/pairs/harems, Stressed easily
What is the ideal temperature for guinea pigs?
20-22
What should you consider when creating housing for your guinea pig?
Well insualte + draught free, Solid flooring, smooth, easy to clean, Raised off ground outside, Out of direct sunlight (provide shade)
How tall do cages size needs to be for a guiean pig?
40cm tall
What substrate should you use for a guinea pig?
Wood shavings , Shredder paper
What bedding should you use for a guinea pig?
Dust free + absrobent, Shredded paper, Hay/Straw but conreal lacerations are common
Can you describe a chinchilla’s important features?
Rounded body,
Large ears,
Short legs,
Long tail,
Dense + soft coat,
Hindgut fermentors (gut takes up large amount of internal body space),
Relatively small chest cavity
Where does the majority of digestive processes occur in a chinchilla?
Colon + Caecum
Where are chinchillas origianlly from?
Air mountain environment (avoid high levels of humidity)
What would you feed a chinchilla?
Grass-based chinchilla pellets (25-50g),
Ad lib fresh good quality hay + dried grass in rack,
Fresh wild plants, herbs, flwoers, berries, roots, shoots + veg,
Introduce changes gradually
What is the mimum mesaurements for a chinchilla’s large secure cage for housing/
2m x 2m x 1m
What size should wire mesh be on a chinchillas cage?
Max: 15mm x 15xx
What must be placed inside chinchilla housing?
Multiple hides/net boxes (avoid plastic), Wooden toyes, branchs + platforms
What substrate should you use for chinchillas?
Wood shavings at bottom of cage
What bedding should you use for chinchillas?
Shredded paper better than hay/straw
What must you consider when creating a dust bath for chinchillas?
Commerically availble dust, essential for coat maintenance, At least 4-6cm deep, Not for neonates
Are chinchillas kept individually?
No in paires or harems (1 male to 2-6 females)
What temperature do you keep chinchillas at when indoors?
10-15, get agitated at 21, can die >30
List the important features of a hamster
Generally nocturnal, Large paired cheek pouches for food stotage, Well developed hindgut (caecum + colon)
What + Where are specific glands to syrian hamster found?
Bilateral pigmented sebaceous glands on flank (more prominent in M)
Where is the scent gland found on a russian dwarf?
Ventrally
Describe the diet of a hamster
Commercial hamster food (pellets better than mix (selective feeding),
Small amounts of fresh fruit + veg (apple, pears, carrot, broccoli, parsley, cabbage),
Animal protein (hard-boiled egg, live mealworms/crickets) may be added once/twice per week,
Small amount of Timothy hay
Housing considerations for hamsters
Escape proof, Safe, Enriched
What items should you provide in a hamster enclosure?
Itmes to gnaw (branches from untreated fruit tress (not plum or cherry), commercial hamster chews), Areas to burrow and hide
Housing for a syrian/golden hamster
Solitary, Hibernae at <5, Nocturnal
Housing for russian dwarf hamsters
Sociable (single sex or mixed pair group)
Housing for roborovski + chinese hamsters
Single or in Piars/Groups (mature chinese may fight)
Important features of rats
Elongated body, Long hairless tail, Large rounded ears, Omnivores, Adapted to variety of environments (good ventilation to maintain respiratory health still required)
What do you feed rats?
Commercial balanced pelleted diet (avoid mixes for selective feeding),
Supplement with small amounts of fruit + veg,
Avoid sugary treats + chocolate = obesity + dental caries
How to probvide enrichment for rats regarding their diet?
Scatter food to encourage foraging, Hide food/treats
Are rats kept indiviudally?
No, should be kept as single-sex groups (2 females best as males often right unless castrated) or as breeding pairs/harems
How else would you provide enrichment for a rat?
Need cage furniture/enrichment,
Ropes, tubes, ladders, hammocks, branches, cardboard rolls + boxes
What housing would you give to rats?
Good ventilation + Avoid dusty substrated & bedding = pneumonia,
Shredded paper good,
Escape proof + Easy to clean,
Indestructible (very good at gnawing),
Non-toxic plants + sealants
How often would you replace bedding in a rat enclosure?
2-3x per week to prevent odours
Important features of micec
Slender body, blunt or tapered tail, prominent ears, Primarily nocturnal in natural environment, Omnivores, Adapted to variets of environments (good vent to maintain resp health)
Diet & Housing requierments for mice
Similar to rats,
Hiding places very important,
Highly social + Inquisitive,
Distinctive smell
Important feautures of Gerbils
Slender body, blunt furred tail, small ears, face shape more blunt that mice, Primarily noctunral, Adapted to arid, rocky, scrubland habitats (require good ventilation)
Where is the scent gland found on a gerbil?
Large gland ventrally, can get infection + tumours occur here
Purpose of a harderian gland in gerbils?
Secretion mixed with saliva are groomed onto coat + help with thermoregulation
What causes hypersecretion of porphyrin pigment + What can this lead to?
Stress from overcrowding/high humdity lead to nasa dermatitis
What would you feed a gerbil?
Commercial pelleted diet/Roden seed-based mixed,
Supplement with a small amount of fresh fruit + vet (apple, carrot),
Occasional treats (dried pumpkin seeds),
Scatter = foraging
What is the average daily water intake of gerbils?
2-4ml/100g body weight
Ideal housing for gerbils
Glass/Plastic tank with deep substrate to burrow (sawdust, peat, paper by products) with a close-fitting mesh lid, or, Modular unit with chambes + Plastic tunnels with deep sustrave in main chaber with paper-based bedding and enrichment toyes
Where should you place your enclosure for your gerbils?
Out of direct sunligt, Away from radiaotors
What additional thing you must provide along with your gerbil enclosure?
Sand/dust bath (chinchilla dust suitable) for coat quality + thermoregulation
Ideal temperature for gerbils
20-22
Ideal humididty for gerbils
<50%
Are gerbils housed individually?
Social animals, Highly territorial - keep as single sex pairs/groups (intro before puberty) or breeding pairs, Likely to fight if intro after 10 weeks of age
Can you label the arrows & sex this gerbil?
Can you label the arrows & sex this gerbil?
Can you sex this rat?
Adult female
Can you sex this rat?
Adult male
What type of rat is this?
Hooded - colour pattern
What type of rat is this?
Dumbo
Can you label this hamster + sex it?
Testes + Anus (More ventrally)
Male
Can you label this hamster + sex it?
Anus
Female
What is this arrow pointing at?
Ventral scent gland
What are the darker patches on the sides of the syrian hamster?
Pigmented sebaceous gland
What type of hamster is this?
Golden/Syrian
What type of hamster is this?
Chinese
What type of hamster is this?
Roborovski
What type of hamster is this?
Russian
Can you sex this chinchilla?
Male
Can you sex this chinchilla?
Female
Can you label + sex this guinea pig?
Can you sex this guinea pig?
Female (Sow)
Label A, B + C & Sex the mouse
A - Anus
B - Scrotal sac
C - Penile shaft
Buck - Male
Label A, B + C & Sex the mouse
A - Anus
B - Vaginal orifice
C - Urethral orifice
Doe - Female
