Update and Ratville city

12:28 PM Posted In Edit This
Sorry i haven't been posting here. But, i plan on starting again today. I took a small break from all my blogs just so i could come back to it revitalized and refreshed. So check back.

I found this cute little website where you make a sim-like city (not nearly as advanced as the sim games but cute). The city grows each time someone goes to the link/website. I'm trying to get the city to grow just to see how it turns out.

Here is the link below. Please visit it-- if you like :)

http://ratville-usa.myminicity.com/

-Rebecca

New Template

2:58 PM Posted In Edit This
I found this gorgeous template and thought it would be perfect for this blog. Well... it looks wonderful but something doesn't quite work within the posts. There is to much space in between paragraphs. And i did try to shorten the space between paragraphs but it didn't help and i got as close between each paragraph as i could.

Everything is just way to spaced out. So, I don't know if I'll keep this template. It's to bad because it's very pretty.

We'll see how the next few posts go and than I'll decide.

Rebecca

4 Rats at West Los Angeles Shelter need a home

11:59 AM Posted In Edit This
I am thinking of getting myself an early b-day present-- a Guinea Pig (Still thinking about it, haven't decided yet), so I wanted to check my local shelter to see if there were any GP's for adoption, they didn't have any GP's but they do have 4 rats (actually more than 4) who really need homes, along with TONS of rabbits and hamsters. But, this post is about the rats.

There are actually more than 4 rats but it appears they give one ID to a group of rats with the same coloring and who look the same. Like say they have 4 PEWS, all 4 PEWS get one ID and say they have 2 Black Hoodeds, Both Hoodies get the same ID. You can tell from the pictures there are more than 4 rats.


1) Unaltered Male, White rat-domestic
Age Unknown
Has been at shelter since May 27th, 2008
Pet ID Number A0950993
Link: http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_wla.htm

(Looks like the rat in the background may be a rex)


2) No information on the sex of rat- White domestic rat
(looks like a Himmie to me)

Age unknown
Has been at the shelter since May 27th, 2008
Pet ID # A0950995
Link: http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_wla.htm




3) Unaltered male, White rat-domestic. This one also looks more like a Himmie.
Age unknown
Has been at shelter since May 27th, 2008
Pet ID # A0950996
Link: http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_wla.htm



4) Unaltered male, white and black (Black Hooded)
Age Unknown
Has been at shelter since May 27th, 2008
Pet ID # A0953216
Link: http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_wla.htm



These rats are at the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter
http://www.laanimalservices.com/wla_carecenter.htm

The Zip Codes that this shelter covers are:

90024 90045 90064 90077 90245 90292*
90025 90046 90066* 90210* 90272 90293
90034 90048 90067 90230 90290 90404*

Address
11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064
888-4LAPET1 or 888-452-7381, FAX 310-207-4965

HOURS OF PUBLIC OPERATION:
Monday - Closed (Emergencies Only)
Tuesday (8AM - 7PM)
Wednesday (8AM - 5PM)
Thursday (8AM - 7PM)
Friday (8AM - 5PM)
Saturday (8AM - 5PM)
Sunday (11AM - 5PM)

Please don't contact me regarding the shelter or the rats for adoption. I only have the info that is on this page and what is on the web site and no further information than that. If you have any questions please contact the West Los Angeles Shelter.

Rebecca

Malagasy Rat

10:11 AM Posted In Edit This

Wow, here is a rat I've never heard of. This is a Malagasy rat. Here is some info on this very interesting rat:
The Malagasy giant rat is no ordinary rat and bears little resemblance to its better known cousins, having been isolated on the island of Madagascar for much of its evolutionary history (3). About the size of a rabbit, this rotund rodent is by far the largest on Madagascar and, much like a rabbit, possesses long, pointed, conspicuous ears (4). Also known as the Malagasy giant jumping rat, this unusual species has elongated hindlegs and large hind feet that allow it to leap almost a metre into the air. However, contrary to this common name, these ‘jumping rats' rarely jump, unless startled or to avoid predators (5). The short fur is greyish-brown to reddish on the upperside, darkest on the head, while the limbs, feet and underparts are white, and the dark tail is covered with short, stiff hairs (2).

Found in a small area of western Madagascar called Menabe, northeast of Morondava (6). A village splits the habitat in two, isolating a northern population from one further south (7). Restricted to sandy coastal areas of primary dry deciduous forest, mixed with baobab trees and permanently covered in dry leaf-litter (2).

Like rabbits, Malagasy giant rats live in burrows, which typically consist of a network of tunnels, each around 45 centimetres in diameter and up to five metres long (2). These are occupied by a family group consisting of a monogamous pair, their current offspring and their female offspring from the previous year. Families maintain and defend a territory covering three to four hectares (6). Territory borders are marked with urine, faeces and scent gland deposits. The burrows are not only used for raising offspring, but also for protection against predation and heat during the day and heavy rain during the night (4). Pairs mate for life, but if one mate dies they are normally replaced within a few days or weeks (6). Litters of one or two young are born in the rainy season in late November and early December (5), after a gestation period of 102 to 138 days (4). Young stay within the safety of the burrow for the first four to six weeks before venturing out (4). Male offspring leave their natal territory and are able to breed at one year, if they can establish a territory and attract a mate. Female offspring may remain with their parents for up to two years before they get sexually mature and disperse (4). Males are thought to be monogamous in order to help protect their young from high levels of predation and the contribution of male parental care is assumed to be very high (6).

This nocturnal rodent spends the day within its burrows, emerging at dusk to forage either alone or in pairs on the forest floor (4). The rats are primarily herbivorous, feeding on fallen fruit, seeds and leaves, digging for roots and tubers and stripping bark from saplings (4), although in captivity some have also been observed eating invertebrates (2).

Like many of Madagascar's unique species, the Malagasy giant rat is thought to have become highly endangered due to habitat loss and disturbance, and predation by and competition with introduced species (8). For centuries Madagascar's forests have experienced successive waves of degradation at the hands of human colonists, each with different destructive patterns of land use (7). In more recent years, illegal and commercial logging, charcoal production and burning to clear land for agriculture or cattle pasture have all had a devastating impact, often changing open forest into dense, shrubby undergrowth unsuitable as rat habitat or destroying the vegetation completely (3). The rats continue to suffer from human disturbance in the remaining forests, which are used by the villagers to gather firewood, collect honey, dig up edible roots, and hunt tenrecs and lemurs (3) (7). Predation by introduced predators such as dogs may also be playing a significant role in this species' decline (3).

For even more information, go here:
www.durrell.org/Animals/Madagascar-Giant-Jumping-Rat

2 cute pics

1:30 PM Posted In Edit This
View of Rat's Stomach from Below
Image details: View of Rat's Stomach from Below served by picapp.com


Pet Rat Eating
Image details: Pet Rat Eating served by picapp.com

A few rattie pics i found this evening.

7:31 PM Posted In Edit This



New video of my Two Legged Rat Nubby

7:37 PM Posted In , Edit This
Here is a video of the most amazing rat in the world! For those of you who don't know her, her name is Nubby. She only has two legs.. her back legs. She was either born with no front legs or had an injury as a pinky. I'm not 100% entirely sure.

She is an amazing rat. She can do just about anything a 4 legged rat can do with the exception of running on a wheel, that she can not do. But, she can pretty much do anything else. This disability has not stopped her in anyway.

She is now just over 2 years old so she is an old girl now. Most of you who read my blog already know her from the rat groups i belong to but for those of you who don't know her she really is a miracle rat. She has accomplished some pretty amazing things-- When she was about 4-5 weeks old, maybe a bit older she got lose in my bedroom and pretty much vanished for 2 week. YES 2 WEEKS. I could not find her. I looked everywhere for her and after a week i was pretty upset and was fairly sure something bad had happened to her.

Finally, at about the middle of the second week she was gone, i was sitting on the bedroom floor and out of the corner of my eye i saw something. I looked down and there she was... underneath my night stand and she walked right up to me. You can't believe how happy and relieved i was.

What else has she accomplished besides being lost for two weeks. One thing i never wanted to happen to her. A friend of mine came to visit.. she was passing threw town and she wanted to stop by for a bit. She brought along her young son. To make a long story short. I left him alone in my bedroom while i went to talk to his mother in the living room. I had boys free ranging and i had Nubby safely on the play table. I failed to tell the young boy not to put boys on the table nor put Nubby on the floor. When i walked in the bedroom i saw a black male not only on top of the table but also on top of Nubby. About 22 days later Nubby gave birth to 3 healthy babies- Ruby, Tuesday and Pickett (Pickett is named after a good friend of mine). Her babies are almost a year no i believe and doing well.

And yes, she accomplished one other thing... she had tumor removal surgery about 2 months ago. She had a small tumor on her side, near her hip. She survived the surgery and recovered faster than any rat of mine that has had tumor surgery.

So... you see, she has accomplished a lot. And not only that... she has accomplished two other things... Stealing my heart and the heart of many other people around the world.

I took this short video of her tonight and thought I'd show you all. ENJOY!





"mmmmmm"

5:08 PM Posted In Edit This

MMM
Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Rats Brain's Instant Replay May Be Key To Memory

7:07 PM Posted In , , Edit This
Taken from Scientific America
By David Biello

A rat pauses at the end of a track. He dips his nose into a cup containing food and munches contentedly, nose twitching. Meanwhile, brain cells in the hippocampus of his brain replay his recent route to this repast, according to the results of a new study.

Previous research had shown that rats replayed specific brain firing sequences while sleeping. David Foster and Matthew Wilson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wanted to find out what happened when they were awake. After implanting measuring devices to catch neurons firing in the hippocampuses of four rats, they let the animals run up and down a track with food at each end. Upon reaching the end of the track, the rats paused to eat, groom or just be still.

But their hippocampus cells were in a frenzy of activity. These cells are known to play a role in the formation of memories in rats and primates, including humans. By measuring the amount and location of the hippocampus cell firing, the researchers were able to determine that the neurons fired in the exact reverse order of the firing that occurred when the rat scurried from one end of the track to the other. In essence, the rats' brains replayed the recent route, possibly committing it to memory.

Such activity did not occur when the animals simply rested outside the track or when they were in a more familiar environment. "Reverse replay in the hippocampus might have a critical role in support of learning," the researchers conclude in their paper detailingthe findings, published online yesterday by Nature.

"When awake, reverse replay occurs in situ, allowing immediately preceding events to be evaluated in precise temporal relation to a current anchoring event, and so may be an integral mechanism for learning about recent events," they continue. "Understanding this replay is likely to be critical to understanding how animals learn from experience."

A few cute rattie pics and stuff

5:56 PM Posted In , , Edit This







Summer Make-Over Time.

6:41 PM Posted In Edit This
I'm in the process of doing Summer Make-Overs for all my blogs. I like to change with the seasons.

Over the next week you'll see this blog change it's look until i find exactly what i am looking for. You'll see changes in the colors, layout and even the template.

I just wanted you to know so you didn't think i was going crazy :)

Hopefully within the week I'll have just the right look for summer.

-Rebecca
Owner and Creator of 'Wonderful World of Rats' 'Wonderful World of Animals'
'Wonderful World of Rodents'

Is there a rat in your future?

6:32 PM Posted In , , , Edit This
Taken From: http://www.petsit.com/content316341.html


Is there a rat in your future?

According to the Chinese calendar, the year 2008 is the Year of the Rat. The calendar runs from February 7, 2008 to January 25, 2009. Did you know that a Rat Year is a time for new beginnings? Should you begin by getting a pet rat? Take our quiz and find out!


Answer True or False

  • I would like a pet that is docile and friendly.
  • An intelligent pet is the right one for me.
  • I need a pet that is affectionate and that I can interact with.
  • My pet must have a unique personality.
  • I want my pet to respond when I call his name.
  • I don’t mind having more than one pet because they keep one another company.
  • I am diligent enough to keep my pet’s home clean.
  • I’d like to share some fruit and vegetables with my pet.
  • I like to play with pets and to watch them playing with toys.
If most of your answers are true, you might find a rat to be a great companion. For more information go to: www.ratfanclub.org.

Rat Forum

5:45 PM Posted In Edit This

I came across this rattie forum. I have no idea if it's new or not but i thought I'd share. It's a UK-based Forum.

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/

GREAT RATTIE PHOTO

1:30 PM Posted In Edit This

What beautiful critters

6:16 PM Posted In Edit This

Rattie nose

5:56 PM Posted In , Edit This

He he. I want to kiss his nose

Taking a Dip

6:09 PM Posted In Edit This





This rattie doesn't look to happy about this. I hope he was ok after. I hope the photographer had this rat as a pet and not just a photo subject.

Some nice rattie pics.

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Cute Website.

6:20 PM Posted In Edit This
Here is a cute rattie website i found-- Cute, cute pictures!

http://www.ratlymanor.com.au/ourrats.htm

Wet Rat

1:06 PM Posted In Edit This




I just found these and thought I'd share. They aren't the best pics but i love the last one-- all you see is the tail lol.

Good page on African Pouched Rats.

1:42 PM Posted In Edit This

I know some of you who read this blog and are friends of myself and belong to a few of the same rat groups adore these African Pouched Rats, as do i. Some of you may have seen this site but i thought I'd blog it anyway, and it will be in the archives if any newbie comes along.
http://www.80stoysale.com/pouchedrat.html

Big rat Small rat

12:21 PM Posted In Edit This

Cute pic.

New Feature- Rats for Adoption.

11:35 AM Posted In , Edit This
One of the things i wanted for this blog is to help rats in need along with all the fun stuff and pictures i do here. So a new feature here will be to list rats that are for adoption from various websites/rescues and different locations around the United States, possibly Europe, Australia and Canada in the future.

Once in a while i will be posting a few rats that are up for adoption or rats who need fostering.

In the future i will do the format different than you see below. Right now, I'm just testing this out along with how i want to do this.


**************************

Here are today's rats that i have found:

Califnornia


http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=9098354
Pet Photo
Pet Photo


Adorable, kind-natured, intelligent, charming fancy rats make good companions for people and other pets. Watch a fascinating pair of rats behave in an open-air cage. Choose from boys or girls, some dumbos, various hoods, colors, markings. BOYS AND GIRLS 2 boys @ 3 months, 1 girl at 2.5 months, 5 girls & boys @ 5 weeks, 9 girls and boys @ 4 weeks. Hand-fed, well-bred. Nominal adoption fee: $15 each, $25 for 2, $30 for 3, $10 for each beyond that. Good-home inquiries ONLY (no bunchers or raptor-feeders, please): (310) 801-0724. Click link for photo album. http://picasaweb.google.com/ratrac/RatPix1 LaVonne (lavperry@onebox.com) or (310) 237-6028 Scott (310) 359-0310

Click the link above the photo for all the informaton!!

**************************

New York City

Peaches & Pearl

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10645381


Pet Photo

These two gentle pocket pets were abandoned in a filthy cage several weeks ago. Fortunately, they were discovered and brought to the safety of our shelter. Peaches and Pearl enjoy being handled and are very gentle. Rats are known to be excellent and intelligent pets. We wish for them to be adopted together. The adoption fee is $25.00, and this includes their cage.

For all the info click the link above photos!

**************************

Stratford, CT

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10537920

Pet Photo


We have 3 male white rats available for adoption! Good personalities and very gentle. Please call Brandee at 203-767-1150. Please visit our web site for more information on our group at www.hopalonghollow.org. Thanks for hopping by!

Click link above photo for all the info!!


More coming soon, please check back often.

Note: Do not contact me/this blog regarding these adoptions, i am only providing the info, i am not involved with any of the adoptions, you must click on the links i have provided and fallow instructions on the website.

The Nibbler- Brisbane Rat Rescue...

10:52 AM Posted In , Edit This
Found this photo on Etsy. You can order a print of this cute drawing at Etsy and it says in the photo description that 10% of the sales go to the Brisbane Rat Rescue. The link is below.

I just thought this was a nice drawing.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11202560

Note: Well, I'm having trouble uploading the photo, but you can see it at the link above

Rat in Translation.

2:33 PM Posted In , Edit This
I thought this would be a fun little thing to blog; the word 'Rat' in various languages. I hunted down one of those easy-to-use word translators on line. It worked pretty well but for some languages, such as Chines and Japanese, i got '???' for one and the other '??' LOL.

This translator i used only offered a few languages and those are the languages i am putting below. Hey... if you know of any other somewhat easy-to-use translators that offer more languages leave me a comment with a link. That would be awesome.

I think the symbol one's are pretty cool. See, i told you 'Wonderful World of Rat's was not going to be a typical website or blog about rats. I try very hard to make this blog very unique. And the more i blog the more unique things and idea's i come up with.

Well, i hope you find this interesting as i did, if not... well you passed a few minutes of time lol.

Oh also, if you find any of these wrong or are different than what you know or speak, let me know and I will amend the list and/or offer your version of 'Rat.' What i put below is simply what the translator gave me.

RAT:


German - Ratte
Italian- Ratto
French- Rat
Portuguese- Rato
Dutch- Rat
Greek- Αρουραίος
Sweedish- Tjalla
Russian- Крыса
Arabic-
فأرة

Rats and a 'Mouse'

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"Why i Love Rats" Essay Challenge.

1:21 PM Posted In Edit This
Ok all you rat lovers... Now is the time to let everyone know why you love rats.

What is the "Why I Love Rats' Essay Challenge? Well, it's pretty much what is says. It's an Essay and a Challenge. What i want you all to do is right a small essay on why you love rats. It can be a 2-4 medium size paragraphs.

Simply write why you love rats... write it as beautifully and passionately as you can. Tell us all why you love rats.... from the smallest little thing to the largest thing you love about rats.

I don't want it to be: "I love rats because they are cute" Well yea, rats sure are cute but that's not what i want, what i want is deep in your soul, write the essay as if you are digging deep into yourself to tell the world how wonderful rats are. Write it as if you were trying to convince the world how amazing rats are and write it as if you were trying to convert all the non-rat lovers out there.

Ok.. after you write the essay, what next? E mail it to me: Rsungodess20032aol.com

I will read all the essays that are submitted to me and I'll post them here on 'Wonderful World of Rats' and than everyone will vote on which essay's they liked the best. The 3 best essays will get a small sample bag of my homemade 'Spoiled rat treat mix' --this is not a staple food (everyday food) it is a treat mix for occasional snackage lol. And the one voted the absolute best will have their entire essay put on the bottom of this blog permanently along with a picture of one of your rats. I may add more things to the winners stuff through out the month.. but it won't be much. This is primarily for fun.

So ok, you have a month to write your essay. Please submit it by May 12th. I will read them over a coarse of a few days and than begin the winner process.

Ok... so start thinking, start jotting things down... and remeber BE ORIGINAL, BE CREATIVE !!!

-Rebecca

PS... please leave me a comment to let me know if you are going to take part in this. Just so i can get a feel for how many people will be writing essays. - Thank you

I'm so excited!!!

9:13 AM Posted In , Edit This
My rat photo's from my Fotki site- Http://public.fotki.com/ratgirl2005 are going to be in an upcoming issue of Rat World Magazine, in an article called "IdentiFURcation'. The article is about the different furs that rats have and can have.

Isn't this just so amazing and wonderful. This is something i have dreamed about. 7 years of taking pictures of rats and finally i get recognized in a magazine, not that all of your compliments isn't recognition enough, it is and i appreciate all your complements over the past 7 years... but being in a magazine... omg. I am tickled pink!!!

I will keep you all updated on this... as i get info.

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO *Big Smile* on my face right now!

-Rebecca

Some cute rat photo's i found this morning...

10:56 AM Posted In Edit This