Unusual pets - bald rats

Hairless domestic rats (sphinxes) appeared at the beginning of the last century as a result of mutation. Because of non-standard appearance, they were kept and the feature of hairlessness was fixed in generations by artificial elimination. However, it is not easy to keep such a pet at home. Bald rats are difficult to breed, have poor health and do not live long. Genetically, these rodents have in the genotype three types of hairless genes. Also, the lack of hair can be due to the duplication of the genes of "recoil".

Appearance

The mustache of these domestic rodents is curly. The pet either does not have to have hair on the body at all, or it can be present in a small amount on the limbs, head, stomach, cheeks. To participate in exhibitions are allowed, and those and other individuals. The skin can have wrinkles.

Features of care

Bald rats are sensitive to the physical characteristics of the environment. They require a relatively high humidity in the room and a temperature range of 20 to 28 ^o C. The cage should be equipped with houses, hammocks, warm bedding. It is better if the naked rat is not kept alone, but in the company of the other (woolly). However, the latter should be non-aggressive in order to exclude fights and damage to the delicate skin of the Sphynx rat. For the same purpose, the cage for such an animal should be chosen very carefully, there should not be any sharp corners or curled rods. To place a room with a beast, as well as with woolen pets, you need, avoiding drafts, places near air conditioners and batteries.

A healthy bald rat takes a shower no more often than a rich woolly fellow. Use shampoos for rodents or for newborns and small children. The water temperature should be about 30 ^o C. After bathing, it is necessary to dry the rat well and let it cool in a towel. The skin is recommended to lightly grease with linen or olive oil.

Feeding

The metabolism of these pets is accelerated. They need high-calorie food with high protein and fat content. The bald rat feeds on the same feed (seeds, grains) as the "woolen" pet, but the number of representatives of this breed is given more. The water of the pet should always be in large quantities, it drinks a lot.

Diseases and life expectancy

Unfortunately, these charming creatures do not live long. Bald rats Suffer from diseases of the urinary system, heart, eye, are susceptible to neoplastic diseases, allergies, are ill with diabetes. They are very sensitive to stressful situations. In rats having a hairless gene rnu, There is no thymus - thymus gland, which makes them prone to infectious diseases. Bald rats have many difficulties with reproduction. Samochki are bad mothers, they often refuse litter or eat it. In addition, they often suffer from maldevelopment of the mammary glands, they are disturbed by the lactation process. Nevertheless, these hairless small animals are very prolific, the rat pups are born of normal sizes. Animals with hairless genes can live from 9 to 20 months. Most often, the cause of their death is severe impairment of kidney function or infectious diseases.