2007-01-23 00:39:25 · 5 answers · asked by Lindsay B 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Female rats are ready to breed every three weeks or so. So they mate and in three weeks have a litter and mate again and the babies never stop coming. If there is no male to mate with you will see no signs of heat like a dog or cat.
2007-01-23 00:45:19 · answer #1 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Rats go into heat every 4 to 5 days and it lasts for about 24 hours. Female rats in heat are hyperactive and sometimes brace themselves when touched. The ears quiver when they are stroked on the head or back, and touching the pelvic region induces a posture termed lordosis, in which the head and rump are raised and the back is arched downward. Also the female rats vulva may be noticably swollen and more pink than normal.
They become sexualy mature between the age of 5 and 8 weeks. Over a typical life span, a female rat can produce a dozen litters, each with six to 18 young, with inter birth intervals of three to six weeks. The size of the litter is affected by genetics and age. Some out bred stocks are known for large litters. A pair of rats can produce 15,000 descendants in their life span!. Rats have a fertile "heat" within 48 hours after whelping (giving birth) or parturition.
Pregnancy, or gestation, lasts for 21-23 days. If the rat was mated at the heat after whelping, simultaneous lactation may delay implantation 3 to 7 days and therefore lengthen gestation to 30 or more days. Abdominal enlargement becomes evident at about two weeks. Mammary development is evident at 14 days.
Female rats should be given at least 1 but preferably 2 months to recover from its last littler depending on her condition.
2007-01-23 09:27:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Starting at the age of 5 to 6 weeks of age, Pet Rats go into heat every 4 to 5 days and can stay in heat for 12 to 24 hours. Generally breeding takes place at night, but if the rats are comfortable with their surroundings they may breed at any time of the day. Rats go into heat immediately after giving birth so it's never a good idea to keep the male with the female when she is close to birth. Babies can begin grow in her body at the same time she is nursing the first litter and this is very hard on her. Since she goes into heat all year long, unlike other mammals, a rat can have babies any time of the year.
In the Rat Fancy we have named this heat cycle the "Estrus Dance". Female rats will "freeze" in place and adopt the lordosis (arched back) position in readiness to mate. If she is not ready, teasing, or being coy, when she is touched by a hand or a male rat she will hop,hop,hop away and freeze again. Some girls really get into this dance with a quick vibration of the ears.
Not all females will be this demonstrative during a heat cycle. Some girls never show that they are in heat.
Since hormones are dictating there moods at this time I've had girls that have been very hyper, some get testy and nippy, and others are their normal, sweet selves.
More on rat heat cycles:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?&search=%22rat+heat+cycle%22&ei=UTF-8&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAnYM54NvMNPtXBeKUqFf2zcazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F%2A-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAs6qPmKbEGuHV570VYkOMTkazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F%2A%2Ahttp%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=rat+heat+cycle&search=%22rat+heat+cycle%22&ei=UTF-8&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAnYM54NvMNPtXBeKUqFf2zcazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F%2A-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAs6qPmKbEGuHV570VYkOMTkazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F%2A%2Ahttp%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&fr=ks-ans
spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
Specializing/Educating Others in the care of pet rats for 10 years
Breeding rats for 9 years
2007-01-26 02:07:25 · answer #3 · answered by spazrats 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They do make babies don't they? Of course they go in heat.
2007-01-23 11:54:37 · answer #4 · answered by Veneta T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they are BORN in heat and never stop being in heat until they die. They are the only thing more prolific than rabbits.
But seriously, your first responder hit the nail on the head. Breeding is not as much a hardship on them as it is with most other warm-blooded animals.
2007-01-23 09:10:57 · answer #5 · answered by north79004487 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋