Boys or girls?

[GRNDPNDR]

So these are the babies. One picture of each one. They are 5 weeks old now and I thought they were males but I think I'd better confirmation.

I just moved them into a tank with our larger males today and the big boys act a little funny... sniffing around and such. they have been in there all day up until this point and I hope I haven't made a mistake here.

Anyway, I basically switched them around. The tank with the mama and these two, now houses the two big boys (and the little ones if they are boys) and the mama rat is now in what was the big boys tank.


Anyway, can someone confirm the sex of these ?

number one....


number two

 

[lilspaz68]

Both of those look like girls to me. No testicles was my biggest clue but sometimes scared males can suck them into their body.

 

[GRNDPNDR]

I haven't seen or been able to feel any nipples.... and I put one of them back in with the mother and at one point it looked like he was trying to mount her.


I'm so confused and need to get this straightened out before any more of them get pregnant.... :/

 

[lilspaz68]

I haven't seen or been able to feel any nipples.... and I put one of them back in with the mother and at one point it looked like he was trying to mount her.


I'm so confused and need to get this straightened out before any more of them get pregnant.... :/

You only see the nipples for a few days when the fur is coming in about 12 days or so...after that it can be very hard to see.

With diagrams, 5 week old babies, sexed the anogenital method.. distance between genitals and anus.

Girl



Boy



You have 2 girls....

Mounting isn't really sexual mounting at this age...its playing, and dominance, you will see rats mounting other rats all their lives, males on males, females on females, but babies on adults is very typical).

 

[GRNDPNDR]

ok, we've been looking, and Yes I think they are girls, On at least one of them I saw a vagina as the picture described.

So heres the question, these two are 5 weeks old and have been with two giant males all day until just recently. It doesn't look like anything happened, but what are the odds the big boys tried to mount them?

 

[lilspaz68]

ok, we've been looking, and Yes I think they are girls, On at least one of them I saw a vagina as the picture described.

So heres the question, these two are 5 weeks old and have been with two giant males all day until just recently. It doesn't look like anything happened, but what are the odds the big boys tried to mount them?

They aren't likely to be pregnant in one day at this age...this is when you separate them from males "just in case" but its rare a 5 weeker gets pregnant. They haven't even had their first heat yet.

 

[GRNDPNDR]

ok...good news

the boys were sniffing around lots, there was no fighting or agression, but the boys did seem to want to keep grooming/cleaning the girls or asserting the pecking order.
Either way it was peaceful interactions for the most part, except once when I heard a squeak, and one of the babies was on her back, under a male, but it really appeared to be nothing more than over-playfulness....no aggressive signs or anything.

I'm glad they are girls though. Mama seems much happier having them back, an they are all cuddled up together in their huts.

 

[lilspaz68]

ok...good news

the boys were sniffing around lots, there was no fighting or agression, but the boys did seem to want to keep grooming/cleaning the girls or asserting the pecking order.
Either way it was peaceful interactions for the most part, except once when I heard a squeak, and one of the babies was on her back, under a male, but it really appeared to be nothing more than over-playfulness....no aggressive signs or anything.

I'm glad they are girls though. Mama seems much happier having them back, an they are all cuddled up together in their huts.

You were lucky to be honest. Males meeting a tiny baby have been known to kill, yours only did a dominant pin and sniff... *whew*

 

[GRNDPNDR]

ok...good news

the boys were sniffing around lots, there was no fighting or agression, but the boys did seem to want to keep grooming/cleaning the girls or asserting the pecking order.
Either way it was peaceful interactions for the most part, except once when I heard a squeak, and one of the babies was on her back, under a male, but it really appeared to be nothing more than over-playfulness....no aggressive signs or anything.

I'm glad they are girls though. Mama seems much happier having them back, an they are all cuddled up together in their huts.

You were lucky to be honest. Males meeting a tiny baby have been known to kill, yours only did a dominant pin and sniff... *whew*

They were moved out of their territory and into what would have been the babies territory, so that may have had something to do with them not being agressive, but they were being closely watched the entire time, and they were introduced earlier in completely neutral territory to see how the big boys would react.

 

[lilspaz68]

ok...good news

the boys were sniffing around lots, there was no fighting or agression, but the boys did seem to want to keep grooming/cleaning the girls or asserting the pecking order.
Either way it was peaceful interactions for the most part, except once when I heard a squeak, and one of the babies was on her back, under a male, but it really appeared to be nothing more than over-playfulness....no aggressive signs or anything.

I'm glad they are girls though. Mama seems much happier having them back, an they are all cuddled up together in their huts.

You were lucky to be honest. Males meeting a tiny baby have been known to kill, yours only did a dominant pin and sniff... *whew*

They were moved out of their territory and into what would have been the babies territory, so that may have had something to do with them not being agressive, but they were being closely watched the entire time, and they were introduced earlier in completely neutral territory to see how the big boys would react.

The nicest rats may not see babies as rats, and I have seen the kill bite...its fast and over. I have heard many stories of experienced owners doing neutral territory intros and with no warning, chomp. I personally won't introduce babies to adult males til they are at least 8 weeks old, unless they are sweet old boys that I have known for ages and seen how they react to other kinds of rats.

This little baby was very young and was killed by a female.

 

[jorats]

I would definitely hold off intros with babies under 8 weeks old. It's really for precaution. It's better safe than sorry.

Babies don't leave any scent and don't have any territory so that couldn't have affected the males.

 

[GRNDPNDR]

that...is just the saddest thing....

anyway, they are females so they can stay with mom.....

they can stay with mom right?