Are my rats playing or fighting?

[cyanAstrologist]

My boys appear to be roughhousing as they normally do, but one of them is squeaking a lot more and a lot liuder than normal. Now the one who was pinned is laying on his back and hasn't moved in about a minute. Should I be concerned??

Update: he seems to have recovered but seriously wtf he was like that for ten minutes

 

[Dena]

How old are they? Has blood been drawn? The aggressor may need a neuter depending on his age.

 

[cyanAstrologist]

They're about a year old. No blood was drawn, but the loud squeaking alarmed me a bit. Things seem to have calmed down, but I was definitely caught off guard.

 

[lilspaz68]

The pinned rat was worried to move before being "allowed" by the pinner, obviously there is a dominance issue here, but pinning only isn't bad. Sometimes if a pinned rat moves too soon the pinner will come back and put them down..making sure they know their place in the ranking.