# average lifespan....



## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

just out of curiosity, is the average life span of a wild rat 2 years like a domesticated rat? thanks


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I don't know - I've been doing a lot of research and can't find a definitive answer - as apparently it's not that much of an important subject. I'd really like to know though, to give me some idea for Max. So far, she's not followed any of the regular 'time frames' outlined by the domestics.

If anyone has some input - share and share alike 

Good topic! Ta


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

max? do some of you have "wild" rats? lol... ;]


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Max is a pure wild blood (came straight from a field as a baby)  I is mucho proud of her


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

ration has a wild rat named max, she's rather cute too


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

thats awesome. not trying to thread hijack but shes just as friendly as the domestics? any bigger smaller? pretty much same character wise? really neat haha ;p you have a post on here with pics of her?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Yup, she's just as friendly (be it a little most skitish and worrisome of 'new things'), there's not an ounce of aggressiveness towards humans, although she tousels a bit with Niki lol. She's one of the medium sized of my bunch of girls, although she's now almost 9 months old and still growing steadily. Character wise, she's getting there. I've had to put a lot of hard work into getting her to where she is now, and to be honest, my domestics have done most of her training for me lol.

A couple of threads that I 'Maxed out' 

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7329.html

vhttp://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6114/postdays=0/postorder=asc/start=15.html

Max is only truly trusting with me, she will tolerate my younger sister. She hates my mum, or anyone else really. But I can forsee a future where she learns to trust more.

Unfortunately though, a lot of the information on the internet is relating to pet rats - she is SO different (physically also) from our domestic rats, I'd like to know how given her different genetic background what illnesses she's more succeptable to, what she's not and, thank you again rat_rascal, how long her lifespan may be


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

you're welcome ration : )

im gonna go right ahead and try to answer my own question, as i have interested myself in the topic, and i found this on google (im not sure if its accurate)

Wild rats have an average lifespan of about 1 year (Jackson 1982). Specifically, a wild rat population experiences about 95% mortality, which means that only 5% of rats remain alive after 12 months . The longest-lived rat in the Davis (1948) study, which examined 1036 wild rats, lived to be 70 weeks old, e.g. 1 year and 4 months. In urban areas, the chances of surviving one year appear to be even less than 5% (Jackson 1982).

Note that this "average lifespan" does not represent extremes. Whitaker (1980) reports that some wild rats can reach age 3, but such individuals are very rare. The vast majority of wild rats don't make it to their first birthday.

and from another site:Extreme lifespan (captivity)
4 years (high)

Average lifespan (wild)
2 years

Typical lifespan (captivity)

i cant find anything on wild rats in captivity, but when i do if i do, ill post it


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## rattieluver (Dec 29, 2007)

what rat_ratscal said makes sense. I have read books about wild rats and how hard of a life they have so it's no wonder that they die at such a young age. Maybe since they're bodys are built to survive in the wild, that when they are put in a nice warm cage to live in with nothing to try and eat them, and the gareente of food every day they might actully live longer than the average domestic rat? No idea really, just a thought...


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## lostbutnotforgot (Apr 19, 2007)

rattieluver said:


> what rat_ratscal said makes sense. I have read books about wild rats and how hard of a life they have so it's no wonder that they die at such a young age. Maybe since they're bodys are built to survive in the wild, that when they are put in a nice warm cage to live in with nothing to try and eat them, and the gareente of food every day they might actully live longer than the average domestic rat? No idea really, just a thought...


I had really considered this a while back! I mean, like mustangs, though they're just 'feral' horses, are really still rather wild, and have to survive in the wild. When they're captured they tend to thrive under good care, and can live for a very long time (though that being said, they do tend to be on the smaller side for horses, and smaller horses(& ponies) tend to live longer anyways).

I had even considered starting my own rattery and breeding wild and domesticated to get a hardier line and extremely long lived rats! But then I learned a little more and realized my bringing more rats into the world wasn't the best idea (even with best intentions). Plus something like that would be an even bigger undertaking than what a normal rattery experiences! I mean, they'd have to be so tame for the public to even want them, and they'd probably all come out the same color, so they'd be hard to sell to good homes anyways. 

Oh, and sorry for hijacking your thread ratscal!


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Ah see, all that makes sense to me.

I read somewhere that wild rats lifespans in captivity are sometimes less than that of the wild - because the 'domestication' process goes against the their wild instincts. Depending upon the stress that individual rats experience acclimatising to the new regimes, it can have a determinating factor in how long they life. Pretty much, the fittest of the 'survival of the fittest' group find it harder, and therefore more stressful, to be domesticated.

I can see how it could factor in a semi adult rat being caught and kept in captivity, or an already weaned youngster. But what about hand raised? I don't think they've factored that in.

I've heard about the 1 year in the wild theory - the poor guys live a hard life, don't they? I don't think that should be applied to wild rats in captivity, simply because, as rattieluver says, all their natural preditors and enemies have been removed.

So far, Max has proved herself to be a complete rock, health wise and emotionally (only 1 minor possible uri that I treated as a precaution, in 9 months!) after we got all her lone-rat issues sorted out. I would love to think she could live quite a while - but I guess that it's one of those things; time will tell


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

well ration, when max's time comes you could put something on wikepedia or make a website thing to tell everyone else in your situation what you've learned and how to do the whole bonding process with a wild ratty


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## piney (Mar 10, 2008)

surprisingly ive had one live up to 5 years, but that is rare, usually 3 can be a nice long life. it all depends on how you care for them, its good to do research on bad foods for rats, there ane a number of foods that can be toxic to rats. some foods can have certain fungal properties, such as dried corn. Cracked corn would be better. certain beans are not good. avacado is really fatty and the part of the fruit near the skin and the pit can be toxic. just somthing to look into. care of the teeth is good too because if they grow too long it with interfere with how they eat. 
i used to be kinda nutty about my rats. i had to make sure i was doing everything right. you should have seen me when one of my girls were having babies.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

piney said:


> surprisingly ive had one live up to 5 years, but that is rare, usually 3 can be a nice long life.


Is this for wild rats that you've had in captivity? It wasn't really clear =/


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## piney (Mar 10, 2008)

no it was captive, ive never had a wild rat. it was male.


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