The smallest rodents for the home. Types of domestic rodents. Grass suitable for guinea pigs
If you decide to have a pet, rodents can be a very good choice.
Rodents are common, popular pets and come in a variety of sizes, appearances and temperaments. It is this diversity that can confuse any person. This article briefly examines five popular types of rodents, their advantages and disadvantages as pets, as well as some features of keeping them.
Mouse is a small rodent
The mouse is the smallest and cutest domestic rodent. While mice need a spacious cage to have somewhere to frolic, they certainly do not require as large cages or even enclosures as other rodents. Indeed, for a couple of these pets there is a cozy place in the smallest apartment.
Yet mice are very fragile and vulnerable creatures, and they are cared for with great care. In addition, it is quite difficult to distinguish the sex of these small rodents in time, which creates difficulties when selecting a pair of pets, especially if you are not in the mood to breed mice. This is important because a lonely little mouse will soon become sad in its cage and will definitely need a mate.
However, once they breed, mice can create incredible chaos and cause a lot of problems for their owners, and for this reason alone, these pets may not be the ideal choice for everyone.
Decorative rat - a smart rodent
Decorative rats are much larger than mice. And the range of beautiful bright colors is simply huge and will delight the most picky pet connoisseur.
These are very smart, active creatures who are constantly captivated by some interesting activity or toy. They are playful, funny and properly raised and tamed from childhood, they become extremely affectionate and gentle pets, they get bored and wait for their owners.
However, like mice, decorative rats can hardly be called clean, so you will have to pay a lot of attention to maintaining cleanliness in the cage to avoid an unpleasant odor. In addition, a sociable rat must be allowed out for walks, but before that, you should worry about protecting the space of the house from sharp rat teeth, which an active rodent will constantly use, tasting furniture, wires and shoes.
Decorative rats need companionship, a spacious cage, careful care and objects to play with, and this means some material and time costs.
Hamster is a capricious rodent
Hamsters come in different types, each with their own special traits and personalities. But there is one thing that can unite them - they are not particularly social animals, and in some cases they are not able to get along with their mate without fighting.
So for a hobbyist looking for a small rodent that can live comfortably alone, a fluffy cuddly hamster could be a great choice. At the same time, these small perky creatures, which quickly become tame with the right approach and gentle treatment, are capable of showing character and biting a finger if they feel uncomfortable.
This situation can arise if the hamster is carelessly picked up or disturbed on its territory - in a cage or house. Because of this, despite all the advantages, these pets are not advisable for families with small children, although many people mistakenly believe that this rodent is the best pet for a child.
The guinea pig is a good-natured rodent
The guinea pig is the most popular rodent that is kept in the home as a wonderful pet. These are gentle, good-natured animals that need the same kind and patient treatment. The guinea pig is a rather shy and vulnerable creature, so you need to be careful and try to protect your beloved pet from stress.
These rodents need the company of their relatives, and a lonely guinea pig will not live happily ever after; on the contrary, it will soon become bored and wither away. Adding a decorative rabbit to a guinea pig is not the best solution. Moreover, such coexistence will not bring any benefit to either one or the other partner.
Therefore, you should try to spend as much time as possible with a sociable guinea pig and it is advisable to purchase a same-sex pair of the same species for it.
Chinchilla is a finicky rodent
Chinchillas, and their close relatives the degu squirrels, are much larger than rats, mice and hamsters. In addition, chinchillas have completely different care requirements. Although they are also housed in cages like the small rodents described above, this is where the similarity in the home environment of these pets ends.
A chinchilla's cage should be spacious, tall and well-equipped - with shelves and climbing frames, toys and dry baths to keep his luxurious coat clean. When bathing, a chinchilla raises clouds of dust, which is something you need to keep in mind when purchasing this charming rodent.
However, chinchillas are loving, funny, and helpful pets that make a wonderful choice for people of any age as long as the owner is willing to provide enough space and proper care for the pet.
Rodents pets - chinchilla
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We usually associate rodents with rats and mice. Their bare tails, clawed paws and long snouts with protruding teeth often cause extremely unpleasant sensations. But nature has created many more species of rodents. Many of them are quite nice. Let's find out what rodents exist and how they differ from other animals.
What are rodents?
Of all mammals, the order of rodents is the most numerous. They live on almost all continents of our planet. They are absent only in Antarctica and on some oceanic islands.
Animals can differ from each other in every possible way in size, color, shape of the head and other parts of the body, as well as the thickness of the fur. The main common difference for all types of rodents is a pair of large long incisors at the bottom and top. These teeth grow throughout life, gradually grinding down on solid food. Another characteristic feature is diastema - the gap (in place of fangs) between the incisors and the remaining teeth.
Animals inhabit steppes and forests, mountainous areas, river valleys and deserts. They can lead an underground and semi-aquatic lifestyle, and some have even mastered the air (flying squirrels). Rodents feed mainly on plant foods, but some species eat insects, worms, small vertebrates and other animals.
Types of rodents
The development of various ecosystems also influenced the diversity of animal characteristics. Now about 2277 of their varieties are known to humanity. Digging and underground-dwelling species have a round, ridged body shape and developed claws (mole rats). Mobile rodents, especially those that move by jumping, have a more muscular body and long, strong limbs (jerboas, jumpers, gerbils).
The sizes of these mammals range on average from 5-6 to 50 centimeters. Among the smallest rodents are the Balochistan jerboa, the northern dwarf hamster, and the little shrew. Their sizes start from 3-3.5 cm.
Large rodents are porcupines, beavers, cane rats, bristly rats, and hutias with sizes of 50-100 cm. The largest representative of the order is considered to be the capybara. The animal reaches a length of 1 to 1.3 meters, and a height of up to 60 cm.
Interaction with people
For humans, rodents can be both extremely useful and dangerous animals. They carry leptospirosis, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis and other infections. Their exposure to the plague was a real disaster for the inhabitants of medieval cities.
Despite this, various types of rodents often served as a source of food and materials for clothing. So, squirrels, badgers, chipmunks, and chinchillas have always been hunted for their fur. Due to their small size, unpretentiousness and ability to reproduce quickly, the animals are used for scientific research and experiments.
Some rodents have also learned to benefit from human presence. Mice and rats became synanthropes - species that accompany people. They settle near human settlements, taking advantage of all the advantages of such proximity.
Some representatives of the detachment captivated us with their appearance so much that we decided to shelter them. This is how domestic rodents appeared: mice, hamsters, rats, degus, chinchillas, pigs, gerbils. Some even tame squirrels and jerboas. Most of these animals do not live long - from 2 to 7 years. A real long-liver among domestic rodents is the chinchilla. She lives up to 20 years.
Chipmunks
The chipmunk rodent belongs to the squirrel family. They differ from other members of the family by five dark stripes on the back. Almost all 25 species of these rodents inhabit exclusively North America. Outside its borders, only the Asian or Siberian chipmunk lives. Distributed from the taiga regions of Eurasia (including the Russian Far East, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin) to China.
These are small rodents up to 15 centimeters in length. They are densely covered with brown or red-brown fur. On the back, black stripes alternate with gray or white. The tail of chipmunks is fluffy and grows almost the size of the owner (up to 12 cm).
Chipmunks are not aggressive and can quickly get used to humans. They are excellent tree climbers, which often saves them from terrestrial predators and helps them search for food. But they arrange housing underground. The burrow can be up to three meters in length and is necessarily equipped with “pantries” for storing food.
Like hamsters, chipmunks have cheek pouches in which they carry food. They are active only during the day. During the winter, animals hibernate, curled up in a ball. In cold and rainy weather in the summer, they also wait in burrows, eating the reserves they have made.
Mice and rats
Mice or Muridae are a huge family that includes about 400 species and several hundred genera. This includes the genus of rats. Mice are usually small, up to 10-15 centimeters in size. Rats are larger and can grow up to 50 centimeters in length.
These are nocturnal omnivores. Basically, they lead a semi-terrestrial lifestyle: they hunt on the surface and build burrows underground. Animals prefer subtropical and tropical areas, but live almost everywhere. They were brought by humans even to remote islands.
Mice have smoother and more rounded features and larger ears. Rats, on the contrary, have small ears, an elongated silhouette, and a pointed muzzle. They are larger and more aggressive than their counterparts. Mice are very timid and try to avoid unnecessary encounters; rats do not always run away and are capable of attacking the enemy.
All members of the family have calluses on their paws, which help them move along trees and other surfaces. The tails may be almost naked (most rats, grass mice, yellow-throated mice) or covered with hair (black-tailed rats).
The animals themselves are also covered with thick hair. Its color is usually monochromatic or with a small splash of other shades. The color of the animals is predominantly grayish, black, brown or brown. Field mice and baby mice have reddish or yellowish fur.
Prairie and Chinese dogs
A rodent that deserves a separate story. Several years ago it literally amazed Russian gardeners. A new animal suddenly appeared on farmland and cottages, quickly destroying crops. Without understanding its origin at all, summer residents quickly dubbed the rodent a Chinese dog.
It's actually a water vole. The animal belongs to the hamster family. It grows 15-20 cm long, lives near rivers and other bodies of water, destroying fruit, cereals and vegetable crops nearby. The water vole is considered one of the main pests of the economy.
She previously lived in the region of Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. But the rodent received such a strong reaction and a new name relatively recently. By the way, among rodents there are other dogs - prairie dogs. They belong to the squirrel family and live in North America. They prefer arid areas with low bushes.
Prairie dogs are quite large. They reach 35 centimeters in length and weigh about 1.5 kg. In appearance, the animals resemble marmots; they also stand on their hind legs, stretching their bodies upward and pressing their front paws to their chest. They have light fur of gray-brown shades. The tail is white on all except black-tailed dogs and Mexican dogs.
Squirrels
Squirrels are common inhabitants of city parks. They inhabit Europe, temperate Asia, and America. They have a long body and a large bushy tail. The muzzle is vaguely similar to that of a mouse, but more rounded and blunt. The animal's ears are long and pointed, sometimes with fur tassels.
Their strong, muscular legs help them climb trees and jump long distances. An impressive tail is needed for balance. The color of animals ranges from bright red (common squirrel, red-tailed squirrel) and brown (Bolivian) to black and gray (Arizona, Yucatan). In winter, the fur becomes lush and thick, in summer it thins out and becomes short.
Giant squirrels are the largest representatives of the genus. They are almost twice the size of the common squirrel, reaching a length of up to 50 centimeters. The smallest are mouse squirrels. Their size does not exceed 8 centimeters.
Animals inhabit forests because they spend most of their lives in trees. They descend only to search for food and water, and also to hide what they find under a layer of foliage. They feed on both plant and animal foods. They can eat nuts, seeds, mushrooms, as well as frogs, chicks and beetles. In winter, they find food even under a thick layer of snow, tearing apart their own and other people's hiding places.
Flying squirrels
Flying squirrels are a subfamily of squirrels. They inhabit the northern regions of Eurasia from the Scandinavian Peninsula to Chukotka, preferring deciduous and mixed forests. Their external outlines are similar to ordinary squirrels, with the exception of some features.
They are nocturnal, so their eyes are much larger. The head of flying squirrels is more rounded, and there are no fur tassels on the ears. On the sides of animals there is a leathery membrane connecting the hind and forelimbs. During jumps, they spread their limbs to the sides, the membrane is stretched, allowing them to glide in the air. So the rodent makes jumps and flights of 50-60 meters.
They are hunted by owls, martens, sables and other predators. The flying squirrels themselves eat plant foods (buds, mushrooms, berries), as well as bird eggs and small chicks. They do not hibernate, but remain indoors during cold weather. Rodents make their homes in tree hollows at high altitudes. When a hollow is found, the squirrel puts moss, leaves, and grass into it, making a round nest. Sometimes she uses abandoned nests of birds or other squirrels.
The flying squirrel is difficult to keep at home, as it needs a lot of space. But in captivity she lives for about 10-13 years, which is twice as long as in natural conditions.
Jerboas
Of all the rodents, only one moves on two limbs - the jerboa. The animal lives in hot areas of the Palaearctic biogeographic region. It inhabits deserts, semi-deserts, and can live in steppes, some forest-steppes and mountains. The jerboa is found in southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, North Africa, China, Western Asia, and Mongolia.
Harsh living conditions affected the lifestyle, and most importantly, the appearance of the rodent. The animal has developed hind legs, the length of which is four times longer than the front legs and twice as long as the body. The jerboa moves in leaps up to three meters long and can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. When moving slowly, it moves to four paws.
The body of the rodent reaches from 4 to 25 centimeters. It is covered with thick brown or yellowish fur, similar in color to sand. The animals have a large head, short neck, large eyes and long ears. The long-eared jerboa boasts the largest “locators”. The tail is usually longer than the body, and is equipped with a fluffy tassel at the end. It is necessary for balance and turning while jumping.
Jerboas are nocturnal, escaping the heat in their burrows. They build different types of burrows. Some serve as temporary shelter from the sun, others serve as shelter from sudden attacks by predators, and in others they live. Permanent housing is necessarily equipped with emergency passages through which the rodent escapes if its hole is discovered.
Pigs
The guinea pig is one of the most common pets. They originate from South America, namely the Andes region, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. These are large and shapeless animals ranging in size from 20 to 35 cm. They have no tail, a blunt muzzle and floppy ears.
Guinea pigs living in the wild have thick fur of a light brown or grayish color. Decorative species differ greatly in both colors and coat length. Rodents are peaceful and good-natured, easily tamed by humans. The first to do this were the Indians, who bred them for meat and religious rituals. European traders showed them to the rest of the world, and the animals were called “sea,” that is, overseas.
The pig family also includes maras, mokos and capybaras. They all live in South America, but bear little resemblance to their counterparts. The moko or rock pig has longer legs. She is very active and jumps several meters.
Mara is also called the Patagonian hare. It grows up to 80 cm and really looks like a scythe. The animal runs well and has strong and long hind legs. The muzzle is blunt, and the ears are slightly pointed and stick up.
Capybaras are the largest of the rodents. These include capybaras. They resemble a small ungulate rather than a rodent. These are heavy animals with a blunt muzzle, small rounded ears and an elongated body. They swim and dive well and lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
Beavers
Capybaras, although very large, are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. But in the Northern Hemisphere, the largest rodent is the beaver. The animal reaches 1-1.3 meters in length and approximately 35 centimeters in height. His body is massive and stocky, his eyes and ears are small and not very expressive.
For swimming, the paws are equipped with membranes. During a dive, the ears and nostrils close tightly, and the eyes are covered with nictitating membranes. The tail is paddle-shaped - flat and widens towards the end. He serves as the steering wheel. When in danger, the rodent taps it hard on the water, scaring away enemies.
Beavers live near rivers and lakes. In places with steep and steep banks, animals dig deep holes with a lot of passages and labyrinths. If the coast is flat or the area is swampy, then the rodent builds a hut - a floating house made of silt and brushwood. There they live and store food.
The entrance to the house is always in the water, and a dam is built around it. It is a reliable protection against predators, and in winter it simplifies the process of searching for food. In construction, beavers have no equal. The dams are equipped with passages for rodents and a water drainage system. Their shape differs depending on the nature of the flow in the reservoir. The dams sometimes reach several hundred meters; one of the largest (850 meters) was found in the Canadian Wood Buffalo Park.
Beavers feed exclusively on plants. They prefer bark, grass, and acorns. Their hard teeth allow them to grind down trees. During the night, a rodent can knock down a tree with a diameter of 40-50 cm. Their activity begins at dusk and ends in the early morning. In winter, they do not hibernate, but they are in no hurry to leave their homes, eating reserves prepared in the fall.
Porcupines
Porcupines are the third largest rodent, reaching from 40 to 90 cm. Evolution has turned part of its fur into spines. Thanks to this, the fat and overweight porcupine became practically inaccessible to predators. Its needles seriously injure animals and can make them disabled, incapable of fast and dexterous hunting. Because of this, predators often switch to catching slower prey - humans, which becomes a serious threat to us.
Reliable protection made the rodent fearless. When danger appears, he does not retreat. Shaking its needles, it first warns the enemy, and then attacks him, approaching him with his back. Courage plays a trick on him when the animal tries to attack fast-moving cars.
The porcupine lives in foothills and deserts. It is common in India, the Middle East, Asia Minor, Italy, Transcaucasia and the Arabian Peninsula. It arranges housing in small caves and rock openings or in burrows if the soil allows them to be dug. A rodent's home can be up to 4 meters deep and up to 10 m long. The animal often lives next to humans, feeding on crops from fields and vegetable gardens.
The rodent is nocturnal. It does not hibernate, but in cold weather its activity is greatly reduced. It feeds on tree bark, plant tubers, watermelons, pumpkins, grapes and even cucumbers. Occasionally may eat insects. In the past, animals themselves became food. People caught them for their juicy and tender meat, which is said to be tastier than rabbit.
The first rodents saw the light of day more than 60 million years ago. The beginning of their formation coincided with the appearance of ungulates, which also ate plant foods. Therefore, the small size of rodents was the best way to avoid competition in those distant and difficult times.
The smallest representatives can reach a weight of no more than 10g. The largest ones, which appeared much later, reach a maximum weight of 60 kg.
The rodent order is divided into 6 suborders, which include 29 families. Each family consists of certain species. Total number of all rodent species- 1600. Each species is unique and different from the other, depending on living conditions. Weather, predators, terrain and much more over time changed the appearance and internal structure of each representative, making the rodent more and more adapted to survival.
It would take too much time to list the entire list of rodents.
Let's get acquainted with the suborders:
Squirrel-like
One of the most recognizable rodents. If someone did not manage to meet them in life, then everyone saw the squirrels in the photo. Some Squirrels are easily recognized by their gorgeous fluffy tails and pointed ears with tassels at the ends. Distributed quite widely across the earth. They make provisions for the winter; many species hibernate. The meat of many squirrels is very tasty. Fur is very popular among fishermen.
Gophers belonging to this family are usually pests for humans, which also carry dangerous diseases.
Tree species of dormice are similar to squirrels, while terrestrial species are similar to mice. They are a source of secondary fur.
Beavers
These include common and Canadian beavers, famous for their ability to build dams and canals. Large rodents, reaching a weight of more than 30 kg and leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
Gophers are also beavers. These rodents lead a predominantly underground lifestyle, like moles. For them characterized by very large cheek pouches. They tear up the earth with powerful incisors, raking it later with paws with impressive claws.
The third family included in this suborder is the pouchhoppers. The very name of these rodents suggests that outwardly they resemble small kangaroos. Their hind legs are much more powerful than their front legs, which makes them look like jerboas. They are related to gophers only by their enlarged cheek pouches.
Porcupines
This suborder includes many rat families:
- Rat chinchillas
- Rockrats
- Cane rats
- Bristle rats
- Laotian mountain rats
The digger family inhabits African lands. Their bodies are ideally adapted to the underground lifestyle and to digging. Their heavy, dense physique greatly simplifies their “underground work.” The naked mole rat claims to be the most social mammal on the planet. Only one female reproduces in one colony and a pair of males. The remaining individuals are sterile and perform exclusively labor functions for their colony.
Hutiids inhabit the West Indies and magnificent Cuba, allowing themselves to feast on not only plant food, but also lizards. Externally they resemble nutria, there are individuals over 7 kg.
The pig family boasts diversity: different types weigh from 100 g to 16 kg. Live in various climatic conditions: ranging from savannas to harsh mountain ranges with an unfavorable climate. Despite the cold weather, they do not hibernate. They have a very long gestation period relative to other rodents. Females can carry cubs for up to 70 days.
Chinchillas are distinguished by their graceful physique and valuable fur, due to which many representatives of this family are no longer left in the wild. Chinchillas can increasingly be found only on fur farms or in someone’s home as a favorite pet, or only in a photo. They are colonial animals; hundreds can live in one colony.
The only members of the nutria family are the nutria, which is often mistaken for a very large rat. Nutria is a semi-aquatic nocturnal rodent eating plant foods. She can stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, but is completely unable to navigate under the ice. Once in a hole, the rodent will not find a way back and will die.
Nutria is one of the favorite fish species because of its fur. Now the animals are actively bred in fur farms, using mostly semi-free confinement.
Mouselike
These include the jerboa family, which are characterized by powerful hind legs and a tail that can be much longer than the body. B Most members of the family move exclusively on their hind legs, which significantly speeds them up and helps them escape from the predator.
Jerboas occupy a significant place in the food chain in desert regions. But these are small Rodents cause harm by destroying crops and spreading many dangerous diseases., including even the plague. Looking at the photo of this cute animal, such thoughts do not even arise. But dangers lurk where we don’t expect them!
Without mice, which are used as test subjects to test various new drugs and antidotes, humanity would be in trouble. In addition, over the past couple of decades, mice have become favorite pets.
Mole rats are burrowing rodents that lead an underground lifestyle. Due to this, they have underdeveloped eyeballs, which gives the family its name. They are characterized by wide, protruding incisors, with the help of which they dig the earth. The skull is wedge-shaped and the neck muscles are very powerful.
Nesomiids are perhaps the most diverse family of rodents. There are individuals that look like rats, and for voles and gerbils. The weight of different individuals varies from 6 g to 3 kg. They live mainly in Africa and Madagascar.
Many hamsters are known to many and have become familiar household pets. In Russia alone there are more than 60 species of hamsters.
Spiny-tailed
Or scaletails. Part of the tail at the base is covered with scales. Rodents use their scales to cling to tree branches. and are able to move like flying squirrels. Spinytails also have a flight membrane.
Do you want to have a pet, but think that having a cat or dog will be a lot of trouble? Pet rodents are an ideal solution to this problem. They don’t need daily walking, they don’t knock flowers off windowsills, they don’t chew shoes, and they don’t damage wallpaper and sofas with their claws. Domestic rodents do not require special care. All you need is cleaning the cage once or twice a week, proper nutrition and equipping the cage with various toys to entertain your pet. Which rodent is best to choose - a funny hamster, a good-natured guinea pig, a smart rat, an energetic chinchilla or a cute mouse? Each animal is good in its own way, so let's figure out which one is best for you.
Many people get pets for their children, trying to instill in their child kindness, a sense of responsibility and compassion. Before getting a pet, you need to consider the age of the child.
Under no circumstances should you buy an animal for a child under three years of age.
At this age, the child is not yet aware of his actions in relation to a living creature, so he can harm the pet, pick up some kind of infection, or put the pet or its food into his mouth.
At the age of 3-4 years, a child is actively exploring the world and can show excessive care for a pet by feeding it prohibited foods, bathing it in water, or showing care in some other way, from which the animal can get sick or even die. To avoid this, adults need to be more attentive and explain to the child what can and cannot be done.
You can get an animal for a child only after the child realizes that the pet is a living being, and not a toy that can be hurt. All children develop differently, but from about the age of five you can already think about purchasing a pet rodent.
So who should you choose?
Hamster
Hamsters are very popular pet rodents. But it is worth keeping in mind that this small and cute animal is a nocturnal animal and, moreover, quite aggressive. During the day, the hamster will sleep soundly and will not want to play with you. And if you decide to add a relative to it, then violent showdowns, up to the death of one of the animals, will be ensured.
The hamster will need a durable one made of wire, equipped with a house, a wheel, and tunnels of your choice. If you want to let your pet run around the apartment, then use a walking ball, otherwise the hamster may climb into a hard-to-reach place, chew wiring or other things.
This domestic rodent is not very picky when it comes to food. The main thing is to adhere to some rules. You can find out what to feed your hamster.
The hamster eats little, takes up little space, and requires minimal attention. This pet rodent will do great alone in its cage. The main thing is not to forget to feed him and change his water on time. The only drawback of these animals is their short life expectancy, on average 2-3 years.
The most common representatives of hamsters are the dwarf hamster and the Syrian hamster; read about how these species differ.
Guinea pig
Guinea pigs are very good-natured and calm pets. They are easy to train and can respond to a nickname. You can keep either one individual or several animals.
Caring for them is very simple - you need to clean the cage a couple of times a week, comb the fur of representatives of long-haired breeds several times a week, trim their claws and teeth if necessary. With good care, these animals can live up to 10 years.
Guinea pigs are vegetarians and animal products are contraindicated for them. But the presence of hay in the pet’s cage is mandatory. Read what else you can feed these domestic rodents.
Guinea pigs will need a larger cage than hamsters because... these pets are much larger in size. Pigs can be freely let out to walk around the apartment without fear that they will get lost. These pets need more attention than hamsters. Pigs rarely bite and get along well in a cage with another representative of their species.
We described the main differences between a hamster and a guinea pig in.
Rat
Recently, the rat has become a popular pet rodent. Many people are disgusted by this animal because of the habitat of their wild relatives and also the prejudiced attitude towards them. But pet rats are safe for humans.
They are very sociable, easily tamed, understand their name, can learn some commands, and practically do not bite. When kept at home, these animals can live 2-3 years. They do not require special nutrition - they are omnivores. And you will have to clean the cage more often to get rid of the unpleasant smell. These pets can be kept in pairs. You can read more about keeping rats in. Rats need to be physically active, so they need to be allowed to roam outside their cage. But they require much more attention than other domestic rodents.
Learn more about the difference between a hamster and a domestic rat.
Mouse
But a mouse can not often be found as a pet. Although they are well worth attention. After all, representatives of this class of rodents are unpretentious in keeping, quickly adapt and practically do not bite. In addition, these animals are very funny and playful.
These tiny animals are predominantly nocturnal. With good care they can live for about two years. Mice are herd animals, so if you only have one individual, then take care of entertainment for your pet - balls, cubes or other toys.
Mice are omnivores, but you should not overfeed them with sweets, fatty and spicy foods - this can lead to diseases.
These rodents have one drawback - a specific smell that does not disappear even with very good care. In addition, they reproduce very quickly.
Gerbils are tiny, unpretentious, easily tamed domestic rodents with a long, bushy tail. At home, they are usually kept in pairs, as they are social animals that love communication. Gerbils need a spacious cage or aquarium, as they are a very active animal, or put a running wheel in the cage.
You need to pour a thick layer of bedding into the cage so that the animal has the opportunity to dig into it. These rodents need sand baths, so place a container with special sand in the cage, which needs to be changed periodically.
The lifespan of gerbils is 3-4 years. The food is the same as .
Chinchilla
Chinchillas are very active and beautiful rodents with long mustaches, a fluffy tail and a thick fur coat. These animals are very clean and tidy - they practically do not smell. Their activity peaks at night, as they are nocturnal animals. Chinchillas need a spacious cage with various shelves, climbing devices and toys.
You need to place a container with sand in the cage; the animal loves to take sand baths. Chinchillas' fur is very dense and does not harbor fleas and ticks. This animal does not shed, so people with allergies can get such a pet. Chinchillas do not bite or scratch, although they have sharp teeth.
These rodents eat little; when kept at home, they are fed once a day with dried foods - dried apples, carrots, hay, dandelion roots, as well as granules as the main food.
One of the advantages of chinchillas over other domestic rodents is their life expectancy. With proper care, these animals can live on average 15-20 years.
Degu
Degus are rare domestic rodents, very active, cute, easily tamed animals. This rodent, like a chinchilla, needs a spacious cage with a house, a drinking bowl, a wheel and other toys for active games. A degu should always have specialized food in its feeder consisting of herbs, cereals and vegetables, as well as hay and branches for grinding down teeth. But sweet fruits and dried fruits are contraindicated for these rodents due to their predisposition to diabetes.
Degus are very sociable and get used to the hands of their owner and can recognize him by smell. This pet is a social animal, so it requires constant communication either with other degus or with its owner. Therefore, if you do not have enough time for your pet, buy him a pair.
Other rodents
It is very rare to find a squirrel, dormouse, chipmunk, gopher or jerboa as a domestic rodent. For such rodents, it is necessary to observe certain conditions of maintenance and nutrition, based on their living conditions in their natural environment.
Don't think that pet rodents don't deserve the same attention as cats or dogs. If you have a small animal, then it has already become a member of your family, which has the right to attention, care and love. You must decide for yourself which rodent to have in your home, choosing the animal to suit your temperament. No matter who you choose, any pet is capable of making you touch and rejoice, and will reciprocate your affection and love.
The Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) is a mammal from the genus Chipmunks, which belongs to the squirrel family. This is the only chipmunk in the world that lives in Eurasia. The fossil remains of this animal are known to paleontologists already from the Late Pleistocene cave deposits of Altai, Sayan and Primorye.
Degu
Degus (Octodon degus) are rodents that belong to the genus of eight-toothed animals. People started keeping some of them as pets in apartments relatively recently. These animals are native to the Andean foothills of Chile and Peru, where locals called them “bush rat.” Only in the mid-18th century did Europeans discover these animals. At first, there was great controversy in the scientific world about who degus belonged to. They were said to be relatives of squirrels, chinchillas, rats, mice and guinea pigs, but after the debate subsided and the taxonomy was revised, they were classified as the eight-toothed dormouse.
Egyptian spiny mouse
Spiny mice, also often called akomys (Acomys cahirinus), are representatives of the subfamily Deomiinidae, the mouse family of the rodent order. These amazing animals weigh 40-48 g in adulthood, and their body length, together with the tail, which is almost half of their total size, does not exceed 14 cm. A characteristic feature of these animals is that they have spines growing on their backs. Their color is usually pale yellow, but sometimes reddish brown and dark gray can be found. The color of spiny mice is light sandy or brown, it depends on the age of the animal, since young individuals are paler in color than adults. The underside of the Akomis body (belly and chest) is covered with soft white hair. In mature males, the fur on the neck is longer than in females and immature ones, and forms a so-called mane on it. The tail of these animals is scaly and very brittle. Spiny mice have a narrow muzzle with large dark eyes resembling beads, their large round and very mobile ears are set vertically on the head. The animals' whiskers are very long, which helps them in life in the wild. The hind legs of Akomis are short and have wide feet.
Rabbit
Rabbits are animals that are hard to imagine as wild today. Nowadays they are raised by rabbit breeders in special conditions. Among the breeds bred as a result of the domestication of rabbits, several directions can be roughly distinguished - meat, down, meat-skin types. This is the so-called “economic” classification of rabbits, since a scientific classification of breeds has not yet been developed. Special decorative breeds are also bred for keeping at home. Rabbits became domesticated animals about 1000 years ago, which by nature’s standards is not that long. Their common ancestor is the wild European rabbit. The rabbit belongs to the genus of mammals from the family of hares, however, unlike hares, small rabbits are born blind and without fur. Wild rabbits raise their offspring mainly in burrows, and this is also their main difference from hares. It is very easy to tame these cute animals if you wish; all you need to do is show them attention regularly.
Decorative rabbit
The decorative rabbit is an animal around which there is a lot of controversy. There is a debate about who should be considered an ornamental rabbit - any rabbit living in captivity, or only a selective one. Obviously, under the name of a decorative rabbit there is still a specially bred and even purebred animal hidden, since the word “decorative” means “created for decoration.” And it is unlikely that an ordinary rabbit on a livestock farm is intended to decorate anything. However, the controversy still does not stop. One way or another, the decorative rabbit is a particularly beautiful representative of domesticated rabbits. Most often, skin breeds of rabbits are considered decorative - with especially beautiful and soft fur. Today more than 60 such breeds are known. But in general, a rabbit is an ideal pet, affectionate, playful and happy to communicate with humans. Compared to a cat and a dog, keeping a decorative rabbit is cheaper, and there is much less hassle with it.
Dwarf rabbit
One of the most popular animals recently has become dwarf rabbits. They are absolutely adorable and, thanks to their small size (adult rabbits reach the size of a well-fed cat), they are loved not only by children, but also by adults. Like any other pet, rabbits require knowledge of certain rules for maintenance and care. The first thing to keep in mind is that rabbits need to be looked after regularly: including weekends and holidays, as well as during school holidays and holidays. In the latter case, therefore, it is necessary to think in advance whether you will take the rabbit with you on a trip, or leave it with your friends who love rabbits as much as you do. With good care, no special problems with keeping the rabbit and its health will arise.
Rat
Many of us associate rats with unsanitary conditions and dirt, perhaps because they live close to people - in basements, sheds, that is, where conditions, frankly speaking, are not the most hygienic. In addition, rats living in basements are considered carriers of various unpleasant diseases, and therefore various means are constantly being improved to combat these pests, which also spoil food and other objects used by humans. This applies, first of all, to the most common types of rats – gray and black. But the main habitat of the rat is not human habitation, but tropical and subtropical forests. Recently, the practice of keeping tame rats at home has become widespread. These rats, however, are descendants of those same basement pests. There are also nurseries where special decorative breeds of rats are bred. Such pet rats are, of course, safe for the health of the owner. They are easily tamed, willingly communicate with people and are even able to show affection and play with pleasure.
