Sexing rats is usually quite simple. Males are most likely going to be quite obvious from an early age, as they have very large testicles that are hard to miss.
- To begin look for nipples, only female rats have nipples. But never judge on lack of nipples alone. Often babies are fairly fuzzy and it can be almost impossible to find them!
- Looking at their genital region, the male's genitals will be farther apart from the anus then the female. It is usually pretty easy to tell if you have both a male and a female to compare them to.
- If they are around 4-5 weeks or older the boys should be rocking some fairly good sized testicles, making sexing them pretty easy.
As you can see from the pic above, the boy has quite the noticeable testicles. You can also see from the girl that she is slightly "poofy" down there. Sometimes people will confuse this for testicles. Some girls just are alittle bigger down there, sometimes they are about to poop. But it is still fairly different looking.
Both have a little nub. On the boy it is his penis sheath, the girl it is her urethra. On girls there will be a hole undernearth where the vagina is. There is also a line from the vagina to the anus.
If you are trying to ask for help on gender, take good clear pics in good lighting. It helps if you have someone to help you. I highly suggest taking pics holding the rats like I am in the pics. It often gives a good clear shot.
It is possible to sex rats from day one. Males will have a wider spacing between the genitals and anus, females it will be closer together. if you are comparing itty bitty babies, the easiest way is to just pick one baby up and then start to compare each baby to it. When you notice a difference it is really obvious which is which.
By the time you have adopted your rat at 5-6 weeks or later there should be a visible difference in the boys vs the girls.
* More Pics coming soon!
Yes sometimes boys can hold their balls up inside them. It really does not happen that often. And when it does, you will notice. It looks weird lol
There are sometimes some special rats who will be lacking testicles, born with just one testicle, or be hermaphrodites. This is all quite rare.
Mating
DO NOT PLACE RATS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX TOGETHER UNLESS THEY ARE FIXED!!!
Mixed genders should not ever have play dates. They should not be housed together just for a little while. They should not be kept together even if they are related.
Rats can mate in the blink of an eye. It can happen very fast. It only takes you being distracted or turning your head and boom babies. It is so irresponsible.
Rats can also mate at very young ages and it is not a good thing. Babies should not be having babies.
Rats do not need to mate. It doesn't make their life complete. It is not an experience they need to have. It will not settle them down or make them healthier or any other such nonsense. Breeding your rats is not something that should be taken lightly. It should be done only with alot of research and knowledge going in. It should only be done with rats who are of the proper age, history and health.
Is my rat pregnant?
This often gets asked alot when people have brought their new rat home from a pet store where they often missex and/or keep different sexes caged together.
Most rats tend to gain weight, sometimes quite a bit of weight, when they enter a new home. They may have alittle bit of a belly on them.
Pregnant belly vs fat belly is usually quite different. It will kindof look like they swallowed some ping pong balls and are sticking out more to their sides.
Also most rats will not really show at all until their last week of their pregnancy.
If you do not know, visit a vet and/or wait and see.
If taking pics to ask for advice, I suggest holding a treat above her head to make her stand up to reach for it.
Examples of two of my pregnant does the last week of their pregnancy.
Baby Rat Development
Coming soon.... a step by step picture guide from birth to 6 weeks.
This is merely a guide for those interested in how their baby has grown or for those curious about a babies development. I do NOT encourage breeding in any way without alot of research beforehand. It is not something to get into lightly!
The rat's gestation period is 19 to 23 days.
Baby rats are called Kittens or sometimes the cute name Rittens (combing the name Rat + Kitten), sometimes they are also called pups.
Average litter size is between 8-12 babies though they can much have more! I have seen litters of over 20!
Birth:
Pinkies (what newborn kittens are called) are born pink, naked and with eyes and ears closed. Healthy babies will be very wiggly and may make loud squeaking sounds. They should have a very obvious milk band. A milk band is a white line underneath the skin in the stomach area, this lets you know that the babies have been eating well.
Around Day 3-4:
The kittens will have their pigment showing by now and you should be able to tell their markings, though they may still darken or lighten.
Around Day 7:
They are growing their fuzz!
Around Day 10:
The ears have separated from the head, though the baby will not be able to actually hear until around day 12.
Around Day 14:
Their eyes should begin to open!
At around 2 weeks the babies may begin to nibble on foods. They are still nursing for the majority of their food.
At around 3 weeks the babies will begin to eat solid foods and may begin using the water bottle.
At around 4 weeks old mom had weaned her babies and they have usually stopped nursing and eating solid foods. Breeders should not force the weaning, moms know what they are doing and wean the babies on their own.
At 5 Weeks:
The males should be separated from their mom and sisters.So not accidental pregnancies happen. I strongly feel that the babies should stay with their mom for as long as possible. Their moms are not only for food but they are still babies and need love, affection and to learn rat social behaviors.
At 6 Weeks:
They are now old enough to be adopted to their forever homes!
Picture Guide to Rat Growth
Click on pictures to enlarge
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| Birth! These are the little pinkies on the day of their birth |
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| (left) Day 2 / (right) Day 3: notice some slight hinting of pigment is starting to show (on the babies face) |
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| Day 4. They are getting a bit larger and their markings are showing up |
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| Day 5 |
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| (left) Day 6 & (right) day 7 They are getting quite chunky & a good sized |
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| Day 8 |
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| Day 9 (dumbo ears) |
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| Day 10...getting inquisitive |
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| Day 12 |
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| Day 13...Eyes have opened! |
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