Posted by:
boaphile
at Thu Sep 13 11:05:03 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by boaphile ]
I raise my own rats and have done so for years. I have never seen a rat this fat though. The largest rat I have had was a 32oz one I kept for year to show people it was so huge. Frozen that is. But this rat was proportionately long and not a butter ball rat like these Zuckers. But normal rats just don't develop this different type of fat. At least I don't think they do because I love to feed my own huge retired breeders to both my big older girls and the younger up and coming girls. I have yet to see that nasty gray poop.
The Zucker rat is actually a simple recessive mutant fat rat. Rattus norvegicus, as it is called, appeared as a spontaneous mutant and has been used in research in various and sundry problems that plague obese human beings. Zucker rats are specifically bred because they are obese rats. I think the Zuckers may actually develop not only a large quantity of fat but a different type of fat that is not easily digestible although I do not know that for sure. It could just be the disproportionately high percentage of fat to lean muscle that just makes these rats something to stay away from for Boa keepers. Something definitely wrong with those puppies.
Another Zucker rat photo:
Behold the Sumo Rat!
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Picture of a Zucker Rat - boaphile, Thu Sep 13 11:05:03 2007