Breeding Acacia Rats
Acacia rats are predominately light grey in colouration although some brown-grey, gold and fawn colour forms do exist as part of the Dilute variations.
Banded has also emerged, which some trace back to Germany; Banded is currently being worked on within the UK by a relatively small number of exotic rodent keepers. In Acacia rats Banded is a recessive gene and shows as a white band that can be narrow and broken, or very wide across the torso or rump.
Acacia rats are seasonal breeders in the wild, with a period of October through to May. This is not always the case in captivity, although some keepers report more litters around springtime. They reach sexual maturity at around 9 weeks.
Litter sizes are quite small for a rodent with an average litter size of 2 born after a gestation period of approximately 24 days. Acacia rat pups are quite unique in that they stay firmly attached to mums nipples even as she roams around the cage. This can make checking pups health a lot easier if your female is tame and happy to be handled while carrying. They are weaned at 4 weeks.
Videos of Acacia Rats
Acacia Rats Environment
Acacia rats are excellent climbers and need a vivarium or cage with plenty of height and room for climbing. They are very active, curious rodents and so will need plenty of room and toys to keep them occupied. They are also social rodents so should not be kept alone, however adult introductions can be troublesome so are best done by someone experienced in this species.
They will need multiple nests, such as woven grass nests, wooden boxes, or terracotta pots. This should be placed at various heights in their enclosure, with some animals preferring the highest vantage point to nest in. Some hideouts may be used purely to stash food, but multiple options should always be given.
They enjoy using hay as nesting material so a decent level of this should be given, along with some shredded paper or bedding. They don't do much burrowing so their base substrate does not need to be too deep, and they do not have a strong scent so can be cleaned out about fortnightly. Nesting areas may need spot cleaning more often, especially if your Acacia rats like taking their fruit inside.
Wooden branches are ideal, ropes and tunnels also make excellent toys. Acacia rats are very intelligent so you can also make use of some natural enrichment such as drilling holes in a branch and hiding food inside. Commercially bought metal food toys can also provide this. Rope toys designed for parrots can be well received, and you can also make your own using pet safe materials such as sisal rope and pet fleece.
Overview of Acacia Rats
Acacia rats are a rodent from the Muridae family and are relatively uncommon in the UK as pets having only been imported in the millennium but are becoming more widely known as more people begin breeding them privately. They are around 12-16cm in length with 13-21cm tail and can weigh between 50-100g.
Acacia rats natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. As the name suggests, they would be found in areas with Acacia trees and may nest within them. The leaves and buds of Acacia trees and bushes, and the gum from its bark would form a major part of their diet. They would also forage for berries and roots.
Acacia rats are medium sized rodents with very long brown tails and a dark black line encircling their eyes which is similar to some species of dormice. They typically have light grey fur.
They have a lifespan of around 3 years, with some living to 5, and can live in same or mixed sex colonies relatively peacefully.
Introducing new Acacia rats to each other can however be extremely tricky and require a split-cage much like Mongolian Gerbils. It is best to always get a young pair or group from the same colony (or unrelated, if breeding) so they can grow to maturity together.
Acacia rats are tree rats so as this would suggest are excellent climbers and extremely active; a large arboreal cage should be furnished with plenty of branches, ropes and other climbing material. Cardboard tubes are good but anything plastic should be avoided. They are very intelligent, with distinct personalities so it is important to provide plenty of natural enrichment and space to prevent them becoming bored.
Acacia rats don't tend to be very vocal unless threatened in which case they may loudly chatter their teeth. Providing you have found a keeper who has time to handle them, some Acacia rats can be quite tame and used to handling.
Diet should consist of a base seed mix including items such as mixed millets, acacia seeds, black rape seed, canary seed, nigerseed, small pinenuts, linseed, perilla, and hemp. They can also be given various fruit and fresh veg and insects such as crickets or mealworms. Acacia Honey can also be poured over their fruit on occasion for a treat. Water should always be available.
Since they are so new to the exotic pet trade they are better for an experienced rodent keeper, especially if planning on breeding Acacia Rats, since the care information is still being compiled for them in captivity. A good exotic vet, as with many species, should also be found in case of problems.