How big do they get?

3095 Views 29 Replies 6 Participants Last post by renay, Aug 9, 2007

Holly

Discussion Starter · Aug 7, 2007

When I hear "city folk" who don't know about Pet Rats talking about the kind of rats that inhabit their city sewers, they make these wild guys out to be REALLY big. "Cat-sized," they say.

Well, Gus is a fairly large young adult (8 mo.) and he weighs 1 pound, 1 ounce. (17 ounces.) Even though he has some growing to do, I don't expect he will ever be much more than 2 pounds.

I know that Pet Rats and their wild cousins are all Rattus Norwegicus (sp?) and come from the same family of rats. How large can this kind of rat get?

Are wild rats generally larger than Pet Rats? Why?

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Forensic

· #3 · Aug 7, 2007

Perhaps the sewers have Gambian Pouched Rats?

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Forensic

· #5 · Aug 8, 2007

HollynRats said:
I seriously doubt that! I looked into getting a Pouched rat but am still trying to figure how to get one over to the US!

Considering they're illegal over here, I wouldn't toy with that...

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Forensic

· #10 · Aug 8, 2007

renay said:
A sewer rat is hardly confined to the dwellings of a sewer, there isn't even such a thing as a sewer rat as far as i know.. its just a term used to describe most rats that live in the city, because of the huge dumpsters that are often kept outside restaurants and in alley ways, rats generally thrive in the city, as do most other omnivorous creatures that are small enough to live there. Since rats are nocturnal, I highly doubt the people who claim that they are 3 feet long or whatever got a very good look at them.

Considering the looks of some city cats, I wouldn't doubt what they saw actually was a cat. :lol:

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Forensic

· #13 · Aug 8, 2007

Krickette said:
Maybe they are talking about swamp rats....That's what we have around here...
http://www.bali.co.kr/zoo/image1/%C1%E304Nutria.jpg
they're like, 3-4 feet long with their tails.
they're massive. The biggest menaces ever. Nice target practice, though, lol!

Nutrias? (Or muskrats for that matter)... I suppose perhaps, but in New York?

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Forensic

· #16 · Aug 8, 2007

True... we once had a muskrat in my school's parking lot during recess. But it backed onto fields so I wasn't sure if they'd do well in an actual city... Maybe in areas with lots of water (parks, etc?)

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Forensic

· #19 · Aug 8, 2007

renay said:
yeah. well, maybe thats where the whole sewer assumption comes from?

Could be.

I hate nutrias too, invasive species suck.

But, I suppose competition is the way of nature.

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Forensic

· #21 · Aug 8, 2007

renay said:
We ourselves are an invasive species... far worst than muskrats to lol kb lk igfvvivikvki = message from kooda....my grounded for life cat :x

[typical response] Pheh, we don't count, we're not animals...

:roll:

Yeah...

Hence the competition thingee...

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Forensic

· #29 · Aug 8, 2007

renay said:
HAHA. my friend tries to tell me that shes more "advanced" because shes got lighter hair and lighter eyes, which in theory is true....But she kinda missed out on some of the advancing when it comes to the whole brain part... shes slooooow.. gotta love her though shes always making me feel smart haha.

Tell her she's not advanced she's recessive. :lol:

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