Rat ID?

[Venomous_RBB]

Hi guys, I have 4 Red eyed white rats and was thinking of finding a HUMANE method of identifying them?
I am new to breeding rats and cannot find any info on humane ways to ID them, like rings(that a bird wears around its foot) or food dye, as they are white?
Or would ear tags be better, even though I dont really like them :/
Just throwing this up.... how do you ID your rats when they look the same, lol?
Thanks

 

[Thyla]

I don't keep rats or mice but at my university when we were doing mammal trapping we used ordinary nail polish to colour a section of their tails. Tip, middle, rear, or if you're going to have lots more, use combinations of these. Doesn't sound very high tech but if that's what the lecturers were using there must be reasons why.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

You could paint numbers on them with hair dye? I wouldnt be ear tagging them, they would rip the tag off and prolly thier ear too? Even a permanent texta might be ok on the tail? I would be worried about nail polish if they are going to end up a snakes dinner.

The textas say they are 'non toxic' you could get a red, blue, green and just put a coloured stripe somewhere where they cant lick it off.... you might have to re-do it occasionally.

Might be worth a try?

 

[Darlyn]

Food dye?

 

[ArcticMonkey]

Spray paint.

 

[Manda1032]

food dye or diff colour permanent markers, dots on tail or ear or back. Or the long way.... 4 diff tubs

 

[Cold-B-Hearts]

iv head a non toxic marker. colour in there tail. or food dye but they somthimes eat it off

 

[Venomous_RBB]

I think food dye is probably the most nicest things for them, I am hoping to keep them with my male, that is the only thing about 4 tubs.
Thank you all so much for your opinions

 

[saximus]

I've tried food dye and it's usually gone by the next day, maybe two or three if you're lucky. I think something more permanent like the nail polish idea would be a better idea

 

[CameronWright]

you could try shaving something out of there hair XD

 

[Venomous_RBB]

I've tried food dye and it's usually gone by the next day, maybe two or three if you're lucky. I think something more permanent like the nail polish idea would be a better idea

Awesome thank you

 

[saximus]

Could you let us (me) know how you go please. I asked the same thing a while ago and didn't get any answers that I liked

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Will do, thanks again

 

[Echiopsis]

Hi guys, I have 4 Red eyed white rats and was thinking of finding a HUMANE method of identifying them?
I am new to breeding rats and cannot find any info on humane ways to ID them, like rings(that a bird wears around its foot) or food dye, as they are white?
Or would ear tags be better, even though I dont really like them :/
Just throwing this up.... how do you ID your rats when they look the same, lol?
Thanks

Ear notches, differnt parts of the ear giving each animal a number. Quick and easy and most animals don't even flinch. It's how we identify our recaptures in the field. I think a fraction of a seconds pain is better than the animal grooming out chemicals constantly.

http://www.loris-conservation.org/database/wild_survey/earmark.png

 

[CaptainRatbag]

I think food dye is probably the most nicest things for them, I am hoping to keep them with my male, that is the only thing about 4 tubs.
Thank you all so much for your opinions

I agree with the fact that food dye will not last long.... like I said about nail polish.... it contains acetone (some) which may poison anything eating it..... I think permanent marker.... say a gt stripe down the middle of the spine.... different colour for each..... down the spine they couldnt reach it to lick it. Behind the head or the tail, they could reach. You may have to touch up the line regularly, but that would be ok

Ear notches, differnt parts of the ear giving each animal a number. Quick and easy and most animals don't even flinch. It's how we identify our recaptures in the field. I think a fraction of a seconds pain is better than the animal grooming out chemicals constantly.

http://www.loris-conservation.org/database/wild_survey/earmark.png

Ouch! he said HUMANE If someone is a gubbermint agency or in a lab situation and dont give a poop about the rats..... thats prolly what they would do Captive small scale breeding rats just a dot of colour would be quick, painless effective.... I cant imagine holding any of my rats still to trim/notch an ear :shock: would prolly end up cutting off its ear (if not its head) :shock:

Recaptures obviously you would have to notch an ear or something permanent.... you couldnt use colour on something dark and that you cant re colour whenever you need to.

 

[Echiopsis]

I agree with the fact that food dye will not last long.... like I said about nail polish.... it contains acetone (some) which may poison anything eating it..... I think permanent marker.... say a gt stripe down the middle of the spine.... different colour for each..... down the spine they couldnt reach it to lick it. Behind the head or the tail, they could reach. You may have to touch up the line regularly, but that would be ok



Ouch! he said HUMANE If someone is a gubbermint agency or in a lab situation and dont give a poop about the rats..... thats prolly what they would do Captive small scale breeding rats just a dot of colour would be quick, painless effective.... I cant imagine holding any of my rats still to trim/notch an ear :shock: would prolly end up cutting off its ear (if not its head) :shock:

Recaptures obviously you would have to notch an ear or something permanent.... you couldnt use colour on something dark and that you cant re colour whenever you need to.

Harden up princess, it's a small notch that's permanent, not requiring you to constantly coat your animal in chemicals. The process is quick and easy with a notching tool, even a dimwit (not referring to you, probably:lol shouldn't be able to damage the animal.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Harden up princess, it's a small notch that's permanent, not requiring you to constantly coat your animal in chemicals. The process is quick and easy with a notching tool, even a dimwit (not referring to you, probably:lol shouldn't be able to damage the animal.

How can putting a coloured dot or line of non toxic texta on a rat, where it cant reach to lick it off.... but might have to be redone every couple of months, be concidered 'coating an animal with chemicals'?

Blackhead92 asked for a humane, easy solution to a simple problem..... textas cost a couple of bucks... and come from woolies. Where would someone buy an ear notching tool? how much would it cost? What if BH doesnt want to drill holes in his rats ears? Perhaps he is a princess like me?

 

[Elapidae1]

Yeah i like the ear notch method i find a single hole, paper punch works fine and if you experiment with patterns and angles you can make some pretty cool designs I managed to hole punch the shape of a flower into one ear so as well as identification it's like "BODY MODS" for rats.
You need to wait for the bleeding to stop before you reintroduce it to the other rats though I clipped one rat in each ear and then threw him straight back in the tub.
I call him Chopper now.

 

[Justdragons]

Yeah i like the ear notch method i find a single hole, paper punch works fine and if you experiment with patterns and angles you can make some pretty cool designs I managed to hole punch the shape of a flower into one ear so as well as identification it's like "BODY MODS" for rats.
You need to wait for the bleeding to stop before you reintroduce it to the other rats though I clipped one rat in each ear and then threw him straight back in the tub.
I call him Chopper now.

.... Thats pretty rough.. is there sarcasm there? its so hard to tell with text. they may be food but they are relativly intelligent. kinda seems rought punching a flower in the ear..


On the other hand a tattoo gun is like $40 off ebay.. maybe a dragon for all the boys and a flower or dove for the girls.. and some tough sleeves for the breeder males

 

[cwtiger]

[h=3]Nail Polish is very toxic for rats they also like the taste so would tent to chew it off. Sharpies are non toxic or crayola perm markers and come in different colours you could put a ring around each rat you need to identify. Ear notching, tagging or any injury to the ear can cause infection which can then lead to the death of the rat. Some food colouring contain chemicals so if taking this option make sure it is does not contain chemicals or make one out of beetroot juice or other natural ingredients. Also keep in mind that a rats skin is sensitive hence why they are used in lab studies. RSPCA don't agree with the method of ear notching, tagging, percing (sp) below is a study that they directed me to regarding ear notching, tattooing etc.
Abstract
Individual and permanent identification of experimental animals is a common and often essential research practice. There is little information available on the short-term effects of these procedures on the animals. In this study, seven rats were implanted with telemetric devices. The effects of three different identification methods (ear tattoo, ear notching and microtattoo) were compared. Cardiovascular data were collected for 24 h after the procedures. Time periods of 0-1, 1-4, 4-16 h (dark) and 16-24 h after the procedure were analysed separately. The most pronounced differences in measured parameters were observed during the first hour after the procedures were performed. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was significantly higher (P < 0.012) following the ear tattoo than the microtattoo procedure by a difference of approximately 5 mmHg. Heart rate (HR) was significantly elevated (P < 0.001) after ear tattoo compared with both ear notching (Δ = 31 beats per minute [bpm]) and microtattoo (Δ = 44 bpm). During the 1-4 h period and the following dark period, the MAP was highest in the ear notching group, but no differences were observed in the HRs. During the following dark period (4-16 h) and the next day (16-24 h) differences in MAP and HR were minor. In conclusion, microtattoo appears to cause the mildest changes in HR and blood pressure. Based on these results, ear tattoo and ear notching should be replaced by microtattoo whenever possible.

Why do you need to identify your rats. I have several rats that are all white with pink eyes and white with black eyes and I have no trouble telling who is who they all have there own personalities and that is how I tell all my 21 rats apart.