Bald rat sphinx: description, photo, care and maintenance at home

Decorative rats have become popular pets in many families, the owners value furry animals for their rare intelligence, touching affection and exceptional devotion. For lovers of the exotic and fans of hairless animals, a bald sphinx rat was bred, which attracts rat breeders with its touching and defenseless appearance.

The absence of hair is a virtue of the animal for people prone to allergies to pet hair.

Caring for a tender little pet is somewhat different from the conditions for keeping an ordinary decorative rat. Before starting a bald rodent, it is advisable to find out all the features of the breed and the conditions of keeping an unusual animal.

Breed description

Hairless rats got their name from English (hairless), these animals are also called sphinx rats, naked rats and balds. The Hairless breed was bred in 1932 by American scientists by mutation, rodents were intended for scientific research, but human curiosity and love for everything unusual brought the bald variety of ornamental rats out of laboratories. A true sphinx rat is quite rare, this pedigree variety is distinguished by a completely hairless body with bright pink translucent skin and a mustache of standard length.

Hairline

The hairless gene is recessive, its inheritance is not found in all individuals of the breed, more often you can find rats with partial hair. Depending on the areas of baldness, the shape and length of the vibrissae, subspecies are distinguished within the breed:

• hairless – (hairless);
• naked – (naked);
• fuzzy – (fluffy);
• nude – (naked);
• shorn – (shorn);
• bald – (balding).

In the offspring of these subspecies, in the first weeks of life, skin fouling with hair is observed, which later falls out or remains in the form of small rare hairs on the body, it is possible to determine which subspecies the animal belongs to only until the 6th week of life of the rat cub.

Size

The body dimensions of this breed are close to standard values, adults are quite large, grow up to 15-25 cm, body weight can vary from 350 to 700 g. Due to the absence of fur, the body of the animal acquires an elegant shape.

Leather

The ideal is bright pink absolutely naked, almost transparent skin without scars and spots, soft and velvety to the touch, slight wrinkling of the skin is allowed. Males have thicker skin than females. There may be small guard hairs above the eyes, on the limbs and cheeks, in the inguinal region. The skin color of true sphinxes is bright pink, but by crossing bald rats with black, blue, chocolate, gray, cream skin were obtained.

Vibrissa

Vibrissae (whiskers) on the cheeks and above the eyes are slightly twisted down, forward or backward, and are shorter than in standard rats. Sometimes there is a complete absence of whiskers, which is considered a departure from the breed standards.

The rodent of the standard sphinx breed differs from the usual domestic rat in larger, wrinkled, low-set ears. Bright eyes are located on both sides of the skull, the color can be any: black, red, ruby, husky, pink, there are individuals with different eye colors.

Sphinx breed rats

The Sphinx rat breed is divided into three breed varieties.

Sphinx on standard

Rodents are bred by mutation and crossbreeding from ordinary decorative rats of the standard breed, the animals are characterized by long whiskers and sparse hair on the head, paws and sides. Rat breeders call such rats “porcupines” or “spectacled” because of the contrast of sometimes hard dark hair with the delicate pink skin of the animal.

Sphinx on the rex

Rats of this breed variety are obtained from rodents with curly hair, animals have twisted whiskers and sparse wavy hairs on the head, limbs and groin, which may be absent during the molting period.

Sphinx on double-rexe

The double rex rat is characterized by sparse hair. Rodents bred from this breed variety are distinguished by their characteristic completely hairless pink wrinkled skin.

The hairless gene is recessive; in the offspring of a bald rat, there may be bald, partially hairless or ordinary rat pups covered with standard velvety fur. All cubs are considered representatives of the hairless sphinx rat breed, they are carriers of the gene and can later bring completely naked rat pups. More viable and healthy sphinx rats are obtained by mating a bald male and a female, covered with hair and having a hairless gene.

Character

Bald rats are very active, curious and peaceful creatures, they are quickly tamed and attached to their beloved owner. The absence of wool obliges the owner of a bald pet to hold a little friend in his arms as often as possible, stroke, kiss a fluffy rodent, wear it in his bosom and on his shoulder. The warmth of the human body warms and soothes naked animals; in response, the animal does not skimp on the manifestation of tender affection and sincere feelings.

Sphinxes very subtly feel the negative intonations in the voice of the owner, fright from a sharp cry can cause a stroke in these gentle animals. A person should communicate with the kids in an affectionate and friendly voice, the rats instantly respond to the nickname and greetings of the owner, enjoy close communication and fun outdoor games.

Sphynxes are distinguished by their special cleanliness; during walking, adults do not dirty the territory, but try to do all their toilet chores in their cage.

Lifespan

Bald rats live an average of about 1,5-2 years, however, creating comfortable conditions for keeping and maintaining dietary nutrition can extend the life of a bald pet up to 2-3 years.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The lack of hairline is an undeniable advantage for people prone to allergies to pet hair. Graceful thin body in combination with pink transparent skin, shiny eyes and large ears give the rodent an unusual extravagant look that attracts exotic lovers.

The absence of a coat is associated with various disorders in the body, which were fixed by scientists at the gene level, so bald rats are more susceptible to allergies and diseases of the skin, eyes, heart and kidneys, oncology and diabetes than their fluffy relatives.

Care and maintenance of hairless rats

Warm naked rats, due to the lack of a protective warming coat, react sharply to the temperature and humidity of the environment, so the care, maintenance and feeding of these graceful creatures has some peculiarities.

Cell

A wire cage for sphinxes should be cozy and spacious, at least 60x40x60 cm in size with a high plastic pallet, a solid bottom and wide doors. An alternative option is to keep defenseless animals in an aquarium, which creates a comfortable and safer environment than a regular cage. The home of a bald pet must be equipped with a cozy soft hammock and a house in which pieces of warm fabrics should be laid. To insulate the floor and absorb physiological odors, the floor of the cage or aquarium is covered with wood filler.

Group content

Sphinx lovers are advised to simultaneously start a same-sex pair of bald rats, the animals warm themselves against each other. Keeping a hairless pet or leaving a defenseless rodent in the company of domestic rats is highly discouraged; ordinary decorative rats are extremely aggressive towards their hairless relatives.

Conditions of detention

A home with a bald touching pet should be installed away from bright light, noise, air conditioning and drafts. Dry air and high temperatures have a detrimental effect on the defenseless skin of a rodent, the optimal air temperature for sphinxes is 25-28 degrees, the air must be moistened daily with atomizers or humidifiers.

Cleaning

Sphynxes are very clean rodents, it is recommended to change the filler no more than once a week, disinfection is carried out once a month. Every day it is necessary to pour clean water into the drinkers and remove food residues from the cage.

Hygiene

The delicate defenseless skin of bald rats is subject to frequent pollution, to prevent the development of skin diseases, it is necessary to wipe the skin with a damp swab, regularly bathe the sphinx in warm water (38C) using shampoos for kittens or puppies, and lubricate the body of the rodent with baby cream. It is advisable to accustom rat pups to water procedures from a very early age, so that the gentle pet gets used to and enjoys bathing. A necessary hygienic measure for sphinxes is the regular cutting of sharp claws dangerous for thin skin.

Health

The defenseless skin of sphinxes is often injured, the slightest scratches and cracks must be lubricated with anti-inflammatory ointment Levomekol. A useful preventive measure is the periodic addition of lingonberries to the pet’s food to maintain the functioning of the kidneys and the veterinary drug Vetom, the action of which is aimed at increasing immunity and normalizing the intestinal microflora of the rodent.

Communication

All domestic rats physically need long daily walks and communication with a person, and caress, warmth of the owner’s hands and active games are doubly necessary for bald pets because of their complete defenselessness to environmental conditions and innate gullibility towards humans.

Feeding

The diet of Sphynxes must be balanced and highly nutritious in order to generate the necessary amount of energy that warms a naked pet. Hairless rats eat more often than their furry relatives. It is necessary to feed naked rodents with cereals, vegetables, fruits, boiled meat, greens. It is not allowed to introduce sweets, smoked meats, spicy and fried foods, raw cabbage, potatoes, green bananas, beans, beans into the diet.

Sphynxes are very allergic individuals, so sunflower and pumpkin seeds, carrots, chicken bones should be given to naked animals in limited quantities, fatty foods are recommended to be completely excluded from the diet. Through the skin unprotected by hair, a naked pet loses a huge amount of moisture, so sphinxes drink more often and more than ordinary domestic rats, it is necessary to carefully monitor the fullness of the drinking bowl with clean drinking water.

Bald Sphinx rats occupy a minimum of space in the apartment, do not require specific conditions or rare food, unlike other exotic animals, and in terms of intelligence and trust in people they are on the same level as the oldest friends of mankind – faithful dogs. It is human nature to take care of our smaller brothers, and the appearance of a pink naked rat makes many people want to hug and warm a small tender pet. Affectionate animal will surely reciprocate his beloved owner and become a devoted friend for the whole period of his life.

Video: bald sphinx rat