Hi, friends, I’m Walter. Look at my face…
I’ll give you a clue: you have them, too. Here, look more closely…
See them? Eyebrows! Here’s one from another angle…
I know…it’s not like Earth Shattering or anything. Except–
Not all of us have them. When the boss started selecting only tame Roof Rats, like me, for breeding, the markings started showing up, too. In fact, here is my family…
Normally, the boss hand feeds a Roof rat litter from before their eyes were open, or they won’t be tame enough to be handled. But not us: we were almost weaned before we were taken from our parents, and we are all tame! Do you know what that means?
My friends, you are witnessing the start of a new, domesticated species of rat. And it only took a few generations, because we are all the descendants of the amazing Roofy.
The Roof rat who was born to wild parents, but never knew she was wild.
Her spirit will live on forever in all of us.
Would you like to have some of the first domesticated roof rats? You can!
- NY Times: Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It’s All in the Genes
- [Mutations hooded and nonagouti in the gray rat (Rattus norvegicus): effect of selection on behavior and photoperiod].
- The pleiotropic effect of selection for behavior on coat color in grey rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Our rats are always adopted out free to good, vetted homes. Get in touch if you would like to adopt or meet them.
God I love this thing!
Filed under The Line & Domestication
