Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well i have 2 females and a male in a cage together. i bought them a week ago...the 1 female just had babies she was pregneant when i got her....if i leave the male in with her for a couple more days she will get pregneant again right? If so how long will it be before she has the nd litter....She only had 5 this time at 2 weeks im freezin them.....The other female is by herself in a cage what i am going to do is leave the male in with the mom for a couple of days then put him in wit the other female? please help me with my questions...Thanks!

gestation is 3 weeks and "reportedly" the male will mate with the female right after she gives birth.. so it's likely she's pregnant again.. 5??? Small number, heh..

and sure, put the male with the other female.. "Share the love"

Good luck..
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2.4.1 Leos
1.1.13(eggs) Beardie
1.0 Burm
0.1 Common Boa
1.0 Bp (Turns out, it's a 2nd burmese)

Rats are community animals and like to live together. I keep them together, unless someone is sick. Rat mothers will care for each others pups, sometimes even carting each others pups off to their pile and nursing them. If you are going to take all the pups at 2 weeks, then 12"X18"X7" is enough for 3 adults. If you are going to raise some of them longer, check the website below for space guide lines.

DeMak
U. of Minn cage space guidelines

Slightly unrelated to post but, close enough. I read your guidelines. If I understand correctly, I am okay keeping 3 females and 1 male in a 20gallon long aquarium? I will be culling all pups, so they won't be too much of an issue.
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1.1 BPs (Syd and Nancy)
1.1 Het. Albinos (Bill and Beatrix) arriving Tuesday!!
0.2 French Lops (Lapine and Jacquotte)
0.0.2 Firebellied Toads (Stanley and Stuart)

The important dimensions are L X W, or square inches of floor space per animal. The 7" heigth is a minimum.
DeMak

I would have kept all three together from the start but if you had kept the one female alone since you bought the rats, I wouldn't try introducing hte other female right now. Most likely your mother rat will get very protective of her babies and attack the other female if you bring her in. Wait for several days after you take the babies then put everybody back together.

The male will breed the female within 24 hours after giving birth so most likely she is already pregnant. You can keep him in there for another 5 days to make sure then move him out to keep the other female happy. Or you can take him out after another night and if she didn't 'take' he will do his duty when you bring the entire colony back together in two weeks.