Rodent Quizzes Online & Trivia

Mice and rats usually live for one year. House mice usually live less than one year in the wild, due to a high level of predation and exposure to harsh environments. In protected environments, however, they can live two to three years. The Methuselah Mouse Prize is a competition to breed or engineer extremely long-lived laboratory mice. As of 2005, the record holder was a genetically engineered mouse that lived for 1,819 days (4 years, 358 days). Another record holder that was kept in an enriched environment but did not receive any genetic, pharmacological, or dietary treatment lived for 1,551 days (4 years, 90 days).

The gundi is a mammal. More specifically, it’s a kind of rodent that is found more or less exclusively in Africa. The first time anyone from the west saw them was in Tripoli in 1774. The gundi rat got their name around this time. While there are five species of gundi that live today, there are many that have gone extinct. This particular rat has a compact body - they’re only about seventeen or eighteen centimeters long, or eight to nine inches long or so. Due to the desert environment they usually live in, the gundi are geared to water preservation. Due to this, when a female gundi has babies, she makes very little milk. The babies are fully weaned off the mother’s milk by four weeks old.

In order to safely pick up a rat, you gently grasp rat over back and ribs. You place your thumb and finger behind elbows, pushing them forward slightly. Taking home a new pet rat is an exciting event - it can be hard to fight the urge to pick up your new friend and love them right away. However, keep in mind that new pets need time to settle in before warming up to their new owners; your rats need time to get to know you and bond. Consider the following advice when gaining your new rat’s trust, and have plenty of patience!

Humidity below 30% can cause rats to get ringtail. Ringtail is a lesion or annular constriction of the tail resulting from the lack of hydration in the skin of the tail. You may see the following if your rat has ringtail: A circular ring at the base of the tail if an infant rat, or an oozing sore at the base of the tail in adult rats, swelling, inflammation, or necrosis of the portion of the tail below the annular constriction and partial loss of tail.Tail necrosis, or ringtail as it is more commonly called because of the annular lesions or constrictive rings that are seen, can occur in all ages of rats but primarily occurs in infant or suckling rats.

Rats get pelleted food. As owners of rats we all care deeply about our little critters well-being, health and happiness. So naturally we want to make sure they get the best of everything and this includes food! Quality rat food is often found outside of regular pet-stores, generally you will want to look for rat food that comes in pellets or 'blocks'. This indicates that the food is lab formulated, and it also ensures that your rats are getting complete nutrition rather than picking and choosing their favorite bits. It's hard to convince your rats to eat the nutritionally complete food if it doesn't taste good.

Rats have poor vision and rely on their senses. In the realm of vision, a human's vision is much better than a rat's. Humans see three colors (blue, green and red) at high saturation levels, while rats probably perceive just a hint of ultraviolets, blues and greens. Our vision is quite sharp; we can see long distances and have good depth perception. A rat's vision, however, is quite blurry especially more than a few feet away, and its depth perception is poor. In every other domain, however, the rat's senses are far more sensitive than our own! A rat perceives its immediate environment with its whiskers, through its sense of touch.

Rats are generally docile and less aggressive than mice. While most people will cringe at the thought of having a rat for a pet, believe it or not, domestic rats make great pets! They are not aggressive, diseased and dirty animals, but in fact are clean, fun-loving, sensitive, very social and affectionate. They genuinely enjoy interacting with people and should be handled daily. Rats are very intelligent and can be taught simple tricks, such as stay and sit and will often learn their names. They can also be litter box trained. Rats will often develop a connection with their owner, wanting daily attention. They will enjoy playing and snuggling with their owners.

Guinea pigs can live between five and seven years. This depends on a variety of factors, including what breed of guinea pig is being raised. A skinny breed of guinea pig will live longer than a long-haired breed. It also depends on whether or not the guinea pig is living as a pet or in the wild. The lifespan of five to seven years is more common for pet guinea pigs. A wild guinea pig will live closer to one to three years. Other things to keep in mind when trying to figure out how long a specific guinea pig would include sickness and diet. Timothy hay and orchard grass are foods that will help a guinea pig live their lives to the fullest. Any sickness ought to be looked at immediately.

Place finger under the neck, behind the mandible