My Black Rat female is quite shy, even weeks after coming to her new home. (She has a 60-gallon vivarium with naturalistic setup, 6 times larger than her former setup.) I had hoped for more inquisitiveness & activity, but she tends to stay hidden well over 95% of the time in the same corner.

Once out of her "room", she handles like a gem, and I enjoy her demeanor. She never hisses, musks nor bites.

I hear from others that their Black Rats are quite active, constantly exploring their cages. I've also learned from experience that there may be a gender issue here. Males of many snake species tend to be quite active & inquisitive; females are less so.

Are your females prone to stay hidden in the same spot of their enclosure, or do you find that behavior greatly depends on the individual?

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• Female vs Male Behavior? - Ameron, Fri Nov 21 16:14:32 2008
• RE: Female vs Male Behavior? - Elaphefan, Fri Nov 21 18:37:02 2008
• RE: Female vs Male Behavior? - redmoon, Fri Nov 21 20:17:16 2008
• Helpful, Thanks - Ameron, Fri Nov 21 20:48:39 2008
• RE: Helpful, Thanks - pinelandsghost, Sat Nov 22 00:15:42 2008