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!


-----
Boaphile Home
All Original/Boaphile Plastics
The Boa Network

[ Hide Replies ]

• Fat RATS !!!!!! - dan80woma, Wed Sep 12 21:01:56 2007
• RE: Fat RATS !!!!!! - PBM, Wed Sep 12 22:10:19 2007
• Paul......let me..... - BASICALLYBOAS, Wed Sep 12 23:58:08 2007
• RE: Paul......let me..... - PBM, Thu Sep 13 00:11:15 2007
• RE: Paul......let me..... - BASICALLYBOAS, Thu Sep 13 02:19:35 2007
• is this a - TimS, Thu Sep 13 02:28:48 2007
• Well I know of two online...... - BASICALLYBOAS, Thu Sep 13 02:37:13 2007
• RE: Well I know of two online...... - LSD, Fri Sep 14 14:56:27 2007
• RE: Well I know of two online...... - BASICALLYBOAS, Fri Sep 14 15:21:43 2007
• Your timing is amazing! - mpollard, Thu Sep 13 05:44:04 2007
• Picture of a Zucker Rat - boaphile, Thu Sep 13 11:05:03 2007
• RE: Picture of a Zucker Rat - RandyWhittington, Thu Sep 13 11:58:26 2007
• RE: Picture of a Zucker Rat - TimS, Thu Sep 13 12:19:47 2007
• RE: Thanks Jeff... - PBM, Thu Sep 13 16:50:22 2007
• Thats the bad boy! n/p - BASICALLYBOAS, Thu Sep 13 12:52:19 2007
• "retired breeders" - edkim, Thu Sep 13 13:01:23 2007
• RE: Picture of a Zucker Rat - Gaboonx, Thu Sep 13 15:27:11 2007
• RE: Picture of a Zucker Rat - rainbowsrus, Fri Sep 14 13:56:26 2007
• RE: Paul......let me..... - mpollard, Thu Sep 13 13:50:06 2007
• RE: Paul......let me..... - TnK, Thu Sep 13 15:50:01 2007
• RE: Paul......let me..... - mpollard, Thu Sep 13 23:30:39 2007
• Hey Mike, - styrsnake, Thu Sep 13 22:07:28 2007
• Wow I have a calico - EvoMorphs, Sat Sep 15 11:46:32 2007