I read somewhere (not a very valid source) that rats need a period of total darkness for at least 8 hours a day (24 hours). It says if they are constantly exposed to lights for even 3 days, females can develop ovarian cysts and both males and females and more prone to tumours. It advises against night lights in the rat room and suggests you cover the windows to keep daylight out. :?
I've never heard of this before so I thought I would ask about it. My rats cage is directly beside my window. I was under the impression that day light is healthy for most mammals. I also generally have a night light or some kind of low lighting on in my room at night and thats been the case for years. My rats do get about 4.5-6 hours of darkness a day (the time between sunset and when I go to bed), but that depending on how much time I spend in my room during the evening which changes on any given day.
I've never heard of this before so I thought I would ask about it. My rats cage is directly beside my window. I was under the impression that day light is healthy for most mammals. I also generally have a night light or some kind of low lighting on in my room at night and thats been the case for years. My rats do get about 4.5-6 hours of darkness a day (the time between sunset and when I go to bed), but that depending on how much time I spend in my room during the evening which changes on any given day.
