Wild Baby Rat Suggestions Wanted

[Farrah]

Yeah they're also referred to as ship rats.
& thanks Silver Orb.

 

[Sorraia]

I also don't understand how feeding them will get them used to people.
Continuous handling including feeding will get them a *little* used to people but not just feeding.

Actually you are very wrong here. JUST feeding wild animals DOES get them used to people, to the point they can and do become dangers to people and themselves. I am a field biologist in California, and we are CONSTANTLY having to deal with tamed wild animals because people feed them. I used to live in the mountains and bears were constantly walking across my patio because a neighbor was feeding them and getting them used to people. One bear with cubs (seriously dangerous) even broke my bedroom window while I was sleeping!!! I have been within 10 feet of wild bears that were people tamed, even though I was not the one feeding them. That is a VERY dangerous situation to be in, and these bears are NOT relocated as many people believe, they are actually killed. I have been up close to wild coyotes and raccoons who have all been made people-tame because people fed them. I have ground squirrels living in my yard who let me get close to them because they are people tame, even though *I* am not feeding them. NONE of these animals have been handled by people, and some of them have not even been intentionally fed by people. Yet the proximity to people has caused them to become people tame, despite NOT being handled. You feeding wild rats WILL make them tame, regardless whether or not you are handling them. Once wild animals become people-tame, they are dangerous to people: they can bite, scratch, destroy property, and DO carry diseases, some of which can be harmful or fatal to people or their pets. Once wild animals become people-tame, they are a danger to themselves: They will be injured or killed by their proximity to people, whether intentional (poisoning, trapping, shooting, etc) or accidental (hit by a car, attacked by a domesticated pet, trapped in a garage, etc).

If you're saying keeping them in the house is going to get them used to a house scene then why can't I get a cage and make it look wild-like up until 6 weeks while feeding them bugs and stuff and then release them? Or keep them in a cage outside?

Keeping them in a cage, even if it is dressed up to look "wild" is not the same as living in the wild. In the wild animals have territories they roam and forage in. The size of their territory depends on the species, sex, age, and reproductive status of that animal. If you want to train these animals to be wild, you have to do more than keep them in a cage, they have to have access to true wild. They would need an enclosure bigger than you can provide, and stimulation far more complex than what you could ever provide. They would have to forage for their own food, not be fed by you. Wild animals DO go hungry. You continuing to feed them does not teach them how to be wild. Even having to find the food you feed them does not teach them how to be wild. Wild animals are acclimated to weather conditions in their area. You keeping the cage outside is not going to help them get acclimated though. They will still be caged. They may potentially have to face weather extremes, but have no opportunity to get out of the weather. In the wild animals, or free ranging domesticated animals, are able to get out of the weather extremes. When it rains they seek shelter from the rain. When its too hot or too cold they find a place to keep cool or warm. I watch my domesticated chickens free range my yard. When its hot out, you can't see a single one of them, they have all found shady cool places to hide. If I kept them in a coop they wouldn't be able to do this, and even providing shade in the coop may not be enough and they could still succumb to the heat.

These reasons and more are why it is best to leave wild animals in the wild. We cannot provide for a wild animal the way nature can. Even those people like myself who work with and around wild animals and study them cannot provide for them the way nature can. Your average person does not have the means or knowledge to train a wild animal how to be wild either. Even those people who do have the means or knowledge still have to be careful about not imprinting the animals they plan to release.

Furthermore - territories. Wild animals hold territories. If you release these rats into the wild, you are risking releasing them into another rat's territory. That other rat will fight fiercely to protect its territory, and your rats risk injury or death. Wild animals generally do not live as long as captive animals (even captive wild animals). They die from competition with other animals (their same species and other species), disease, depredation, reproductive failure, weather extremes, famine, etc. Prey animals, such as rats, are especially prone to these factors. That's why rats reproduce so young, with large litters, and so often - they need to if the species is going to survive. In my opinion as a biologist who works with and studies wild animals, it would be irresponsible at best to release these rats.

 

[eagle]

:thankyou:

 

[Joanne]

Good to have information from someone educated in the field!