Posted by Camille Dumont on August 24, 2004, at 8:52:23
In reply to Re: whoa, lab rats??? » shortelise, posted by AuntieMel on August 22, 2004, at 0:10:51
> Isn't a rat with no tail called a hamster?
>
> I wouldn't call us lab rats, though. Dr. Bob does reserve the right to use some info, but not names or identifying information. It should have been on one of the forms you filled in when registering.
>
> If I thought it was a problem, you can be sure I wouldn't be here.Ok, useless information time : manx rats are rats with a genetic mutation that give them either no tail at all or a little stub of flesh or a little bit of tail like a hamster but they are still rattus norvegicus like their tailed brothers.
Its a rather hard type of rat to breed because you can't breed a manx female to a manx male as most manx females have a hard time giving birth due to their hip bones I think ... so you have to breed a manx male with a standard female which means you only get a few manx rats afterwards.
Manx rats are more sensitive to heat and cold than their tailed brothers because a rat regulates the blood flow through its tail to change its body temp ... sort of like those rabbits in the desert that have huge ears ... the blood passes through them and thus cools faster.
And there you have it, you many now forget all about manx rats now ;P
Oh and I'd like to be a blazed agouti dumbo please :P
poster:Camille Dumont
thread:380167
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040821/msgs/381657.html