Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats

Used with permission
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Xylia's SURPRISE! Litter
Born December 31,2006

Mom: DDK Xylia
Agouti, Berkshire, Dumbo, Doe

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Father: Unknown
?????????

One of my newest rats, Wisteria, is an excessive chewer. So far she has chewed two holes in the rat room walls and a hole in the cage. I mended those holes and she hasn't chewed those areas since.

August 8,2006, the youngest boys are free-ranging over-night. I check on the rats the next morning to see that Wist has had a busy night. She had chewed a hole in another corner of the cage and this time it was big enough for the youngest girls to get through.

So, I breathed a sigh of relief when no one had babies on the expected due date of August 29.

Xylia was one of the eight girls who got out and free-ranged with the boys. It's five weeks later, gestation is three weeks, so that means no one got pregnant during that free-range time. But somehow, and I can't remember when, the boys met the girls somewhere around the last week of August. Unless a female rat can retain sperm, known as "suspended implantation" or "embryonic diapause", until such a time that conditions become favorable for her to raise young? But this has been the longest period of suspended implantation tht I'm thinking that Xylia in heat found a way to get to the boys. All of these babies are Velveteen, three Top-eared, one Dumbo. I couldn't even guess as to who the father is.

Xylia gave birth to 5 pups. One was very small and it died January 4. Xylia must have ate it because I could not find the body. This is normal and what mother rats do to keep the nest clean.

Xylia's babies, 2 weeks old on January 14,2007
These babies started opening their eyes January 12, and they are very quick-moving at this age.

Xylia's babies, 3 weeks old on January 21,2007

Xylia's babies, 4 weeks old on January 28,2007
3 boys, 1 girl

Since Xylia's name means "of the woods/earth" in Greek, I chose Hobbit-sounding names for her babies.

Because Ambria was the only girl in the litter and I had no other rats her age for her to play with I decided to go to the pet store and get a playmate for her. Xylia took to little Zera like she was one of her own pups.

February 3,2007: Step three of introducing Xylia and her babies back to Xylia's original group. Over the course of a couple of days each of Xylia's former cage mates are meeting the babies one on one. Today they free range together as I bring the older girls out one at a time. Everything is going great. At 10pm I make one of my 10 minute checks and to my horror I discover Gemini, Alder, and little Zera.............dead. It happened so fast, there were no sounds coming from the room...........I am sorry my babies..........Can't write anymore.

	SPAZ Ambria Puddifoot Started out as Amber....Ambra....Ambria. She runs like she is avoiding water/puddles aka: Amber Born: December 31,2006 Mink, Veriberk, Velveteen, Top-eared, Doe Personality: RIP Ambria June 04,2008 Zymbal Gland Tumor
	SPAZ Chubby Skywalker He looks like he is going to be a big boy and he's Blue aka: Chubs Born: December 31,2006 American Blue, Veriberk, Velveteen , Top-eared, Buck Personality: RIP Chubby February 14,2009 Ravages of old age
	SPAZ Alder Proudfood He's the color of a tree. He's the color of his mom, he would have made her proud aka: Born: December 31,2006 Agouti, Veriberk, Velveteen, Dumbo, Buck Personality: RIP Alder February 03,2007 Killed during introductions
	SPAZ Gemini Whitefoot His eyes are like garnet gems, he's pure white aka: Born: December 31,2006 Red-eyed White, Velveteen, Top-eared, Buck Personality: RIP Gemini February 03,2007 Killed during introductions

RIP ratties can be seen here

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