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Mother With Young: Gestation takes 16 days; 7-15 in litter; young born pink, naked, and blind. Do not disturb young or mother with young for at least a week after birth; if disturbed mother with young will either kill and eat the young or neglect them and allow them to die. After 3 weeks, remove young from mother with young; otherwise, mother with young fights with them and often kills them. Sexes should be separated before young reach maturity at 43 days.
Oviparous; 20-70 hard-shelled eggs about size of goose eggs deposited in center of nest made of mud and masses of vegetable debris piled to height of 3 feet; warmth produced by decaying vegetation incubates eggs; mother with young guards nest until young hatch in 9-10 weeks; when ready to emerge, young make loud peeping sound; mother with young tears nest open and liberates them; young may remain with mother with young until following spring.
Best to keep together but i pair at a time for healthier stock. Female may nest anywhere in cage. Close opening between floors of cage and keep male away from female when young are born.
Gestation averages 21 days. Number in litter varies with age and size of female. Young are born pink, naked, and blind. Eyes open in 10 days, after which young become active about cage. Rats mature at 3 months. Advisable to separate sexes when young are about one-third grown. Females may be left with mother with young, but males should be placed in separate cage; rats interbreed readily, but healthy stock is maintained only by mating mother with young with sons and father with daughters.
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