For this month’s club meeting, we decided to briefly shift our focus from reptiles and amphibians, and expose our students to some other animals. This month we will spend time learning about Patsy, a special breed of rat known as a Cornish Rex.
Cornish Rex rats, also known as Sphynx Rats, are born hairless, then develop a slight fuzz. The females retain their slight fur while males gradually lose theirs, and either develop hairless patches or go completely bald.
Often misunderstood, we wanted to teach our students how intelligent, gregarious and sensitive these animals are, and provide some insight regarding their behavior and their role as a pest species.
We also learned basic rodent care by cleaning Patsy’s enclosure, preparing her meal for the day, and putting together small enrichment toys to keep her busy and happy.
Being extremely intelligent, pet rats require not only the company of other rats and their human companions, but also a fair amount of environmental enrichment. This can include items to climb, boxes to nest in, and toys to chew. Portions of their food can be offered in small cardboard boxes or paper bags so that the animals have to work to find and access their food.
Owning a pet rat can be a very rewarding experience, but it can also bit a bit of work. Our club members experienced what it was like to interact with rats, and found a great appreciation for these amazing animals.
Jose Rodriguez is Fauna’s Eco-Education Coordinator and he runs various programming aimed at different age levels.
If you are interested in any of our outreach programs such as Classroom Visits, Birthday Parties or our Herpetology Club, please contact our director of education, Jose at: jose@faunanyc.com
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