rats Flashcards
how to give nutrition to rats and mice 5
they are omnivores
commercial pelleted diet
varied apple, tomato, seeds
feed from crocks or hoppers
fresh water
housing considerations for rats and mice 8
can be housed in single sex groups or mixed groups provided the males are neutered
male mice cannot be kept together due to fighting
cages should be escape proof chew proof and easily cleaned
solid bottom to prevent limb trauma
wire mesh top for ventilation
clean dry substrate deep enough to burrow
provide toys
clean cage twice weekly
skeletal formula
C7 T13 L6 S4 Cd27-31
how do rats thermoregulate
rats have a poor heat tolerance as they have a few sweat glands and are unable to pant. they will increase their salivation and find shade to cool down. their tails and ears are important in heat dispersion as they have blood vessels which vasoconstrict and dilate according to temperatures
what are rats incisors used for
fighting
holding food
excavating burrows
gnawing
why do they have yellow teeth
iron pigments
characteristics of the rat tail
the tail is prehensile and thick sensitive to pain
important for thermoregulation and balance tail has over 210 overlapping scales which are heavily keratinized on upper dermis covered in yellow organge sebum
explain the difference in genitalia in the M and F rat
m-
testicales from 3-4wks of age large oblong scrotum
anogenital distance is twice as long
no nipples
f-
short anogenital distance
urethra opens at the base of the clitoris which is enclosed in a prepuce
6 mammary glands
explain the characteristics of the rats skeletal system
C7 T13 L6 S4 Cd 27-31
forefeet are well developed to allow grasping of food
tibia and fibula are fused distally
rats have 4 toes on forefeet and 5 on hind feet
where are the venepuncture sites in the rat
lateral tail vein
lateral saphenous vein
ventral tail artery- warm tail to cause vasodilation before blood sampling
collection is limited to 1% of body weight
explain the respiratory system in rats 5
nasal cavity is involved with respiration, humidifying, filtering incoming air and olfaction. - obligate nose breathers.
50% of the nasal cavity is lined with olfactory epithelium - very acute well developed sense of smell.
the right lung is cranial, middle caudal and accessory lobe
left lung is smaller and not divided into lobes positioned similarly to dog and cat
the heart is small and is positioned on the left hand side of the body
describe the digestive system of the rat 7
the dental formula is 11/1 CO/0 PM0/0 M3/3 =
16
the stomach is simple and digestion is monogastric.
the lining in the stomach in rats is non glandular.
lying in between the oesophagus and the cardiac region is a ridge which prevents regurgitation.
the large intestine is longer than in cats ans dogs but shorter in herbivores.
there is no organ adapted for microbial breakdown of cellulose.
the rat has no gall bladder because rats have a high level of circulating lipase in the blood - lipase breaks down fats- rats have all they need to break down fats in the blood stream so they don’t require a gall bladder.
