assorted small animals

HAMSTER	Subfamily/ AKA	Group/ Pair or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Subfamily Information	General Information
	SYRIAN or GOLDEN/ *Fancy, Panda Bear*	Solitary	6 inch	2-3	Wire cage or 10 gallon tank	Short	Docile, inquisitive, hardy	OTHER: Awake dusk and dawn Can be grumpy if awakened during nap/ more likely to bite. Likes to burrow Hoarder: Packs food in mouth Teeth grow continuously: Need to have wood to gnaw on BEHAVIOR: Lying on back: Frightened Squeaking: Playing together Yawning/Stretching: Content Rubbing Flank: Scent marking HEALTH: Glaucoma Colds: keep cage from drafts Diarrhea: watch foods Wet tail: bacterial infection Skin mites: parasite Cancer/tumors Easily stressed Cataracts
	SYRIAN Hamster *Teddy Bear*	Solitary	6 inch	2-3	Wire cage or 10 gallon tank	Long	See Syrian - may cause allergic reaction b/c of long hair - males have longer hair than females
	DWARF Hamster *Campbell's Russian***	Group or Pair	2-3 inch	1-2	Mouse cage or larger tank	Normal, wavy, rex, satin	Diabetes runs in some lines; can be bred with winter white; enjoys burrowing; less friendly to humans than winter white
	DWARF Hamster *Winter White Russian; Siberian*	Solitary	2-3 inch	1-2	Mouse cage or larger tank	Short - dark stripe down back - coat lightens in winter	Diabetes runs in some lines; can be bred with Campbell’s Russian; less likely to bite than Campbell's
	DWARF Hamster *Roborovskis Djungarian*	Group or Pair	2 inch	2 1/2-3	Mouse cage or larger tank	Short	Lively, hard to handle, small, fast, very social with others, like to burrow, curious, easily startled, timid, not good with small children, good temperament, little biting, more likely to be awake in daytime if caged in shaded area.
	CHINESE Hamster	Solitary	3-4 inch	2-3	Mouse cage or larger tank	Short	Has relatively long tail; originates in desert; quiet, easily handled; nervous when young, but become calm in adulthood; may cling to a finger with four paws
GERBILS	Subfamily	Group/ Pair or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Subfamily Information	General Information
	Mongolian	Group or pair	4-6 inch equal tail	2-3+	15-20 gallon tank for 2. Larger for more. Provide exercise wheels and tunnels for burrowing	Short	General awake during the day. Most popular, males get along better than females, curious, active, entertaining, easy to handle, social, omnivorous	OTHER: Metabolizes water from food, although still provide drinking water. Produce little waste, and therefore fewer odors than other rodents. BEHAVIOR: Likes to climb and jump Likes to wrestle and box each other. Stands on back legs: tail for balance Squeak: Annoyance/distress Eye contact: Threatening posture Thumping: Stress/danger/excited Rubbing stomach: Scent marking Likes: Sand/dust bath. HEALTH: Teeth: Misaligned incisor Trauma: Avoid exercise ball/dropping Wet tail: Intestinal bacterial infection Tyzzer’s disease: Infectious disease Epilepsy, Tumors, Tail Sloughing Inner ear/deafness, Temperature extremes, Respiratory, Poor eyesight
	Fat tailed or Duprasi	Group, Pair, or Solitary	4 inch 2 inch tail	5-7	15-20 gallon tank for 2. Larger for more See Mongolian for more info.	Short	Insectivore in the wild; docile, more like Syrian hamster, shriek when fighting
MICE	Subfamily	Group/ Pair or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	Fancy	Group	3 1/2 inch	1-2	10 gallon tank for one, larger for 2+ or wire cage; Exercise wheel and tubing	Short	Generally nocturnal, but do not mind being woken during the day; enjoy being handled; inquisitive; active	OTHER: Pungent urine - may defecate or urinate while handling Pick up in palm of hand - NOT tail Gnaws: Provide items to gnaw on. HEALTH: Intestinal parasites, Tumors, Diabetes Cardiovascular disorder, Obesity Teeth – long incisors, Poor eyesight
RATS	Subfamily	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	Fancy or pet	Group	7 -11 7 inch tail	2 1/2 - 3	Tall wire cages with room for climbing or Multi-layer. Provide wheel, tubes and rope for climbing	See side bar	Usually nocturnal, but may adjust their schedule. Intelligent; can come when called, learn to do tricks, use a litter box; females more active than males; rats laugh when tickled, although humans cannot hear; social	COATS: Standard: Male courser than female Rex: Curly coat and whiskers Satin: Silky coat Hairless or Sphynx: No hair Semi hairless: Grows in patches Teeth grow continuously: Need to have wood to gnaw on HEALTH: Tyzzer’s disease, Protozoic infection Strep from humans, Mammary tumors Colds, Heatstroke
DEGUS	Subfamily	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	Brush-tailed rat or common degu	Group	10 inch	5-8	WIRE CAGE, or glass - Solid bottom no plastic coating due to gnawing. min. 20x20 or multi-level cage; Provide wheel	Short	Awake morning and evening. Very social, like human companionship, herbivores, bubbly personality, like to sit on laps and be petted.	OTHER: Gnaw a lot – make sure items in cage are gnaw proof, but add a lot of chew toys (pumice stone). Closely related to chinchilla and guinea pig Do not pick up by tail. Pick up from underneath – do no grab from above. Likes: dust baths Important to keep in same-sex pairs (males introduced at an early cage will get along better in groups of 2+). SOUNDS: Whistling: After babies are born Warbling: When grooming HEALTH: Cataracts, tumors, constipation/diarrhea, diabetes, liver problems, colds/pneumonia, parasites.
HEDGEHOG	Subfamily	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	African Pigmy	Solitary	5-8	4-7	72-85 degrees; aquarium or plastic cage Need a lot of space. Min. 5 square feet preferable. NO WIRE. Hedgehog wheel for exercise. Hiding place, toys.	Hairs made of keratin- not prickly like a porcu-pine. Only sheds as a baby or when stressed/ sick. Fur under-neath	Awake both day and night, no appreciable odor, good for people with allergies, clean, can be litter trained, insectivore, good with other animals (not housed), need plenty of room, exercise	SOUNDS: Purring: Contentment Puffing or Snorting: Displeasure Hissing: Warning or fear Snuffling: Content Screaming: Pain Snoring BODY LANGUAGE: Rolling up in a ball or erect spines signifies stress/fear. Spines flat: Content. Self anointing: Foams/salivates with certain smells and puts this foamy saliva on back and shoulders. HEALTH: Cancer: Squamous cell carcinoma Wobbly hedgehog syndrome (form of MS) Fatty liver disease Can transmit ringworm to humans
CHINCHILLA	Subfamily or AKA	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	C. Lanigera	Solitary or pair	10-14 5-6 inch tail	15 years	Temp not above 80F. Large wire multilevel cage. No plastic coating because of gnawing. Exercise wheel.	Short, soft	Nocturnal, agile; can jump up to 5 ft. Skittish; require gentle handling, therefore not good with children; curious, easy mannered, no odor	OTHER: Gnaw a lot – make sure items in cage are gnaw proof, but add a lot of chew toys (pumice stone). If they get wet, dry immediately as prone to fungus. Needs lots of toys, exercise wheel to keep busy. Let out at least ½ hour per day Likes: Sand/dust bath. HEALTH: Heat Stroke: Keep cage in a cool (not cold) place. Fungus Stress: Fur chewing Ear infections Bacterial infections
SUGAR GLIDER	Subfamily or AKA	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	Lesser Flying Phalanger	Group or pair	6-7.5 5-6 inch tail	12-15	Min 24x24x 36 tall per pair, with horizontal bars inside. Temp. 70-90F.	Short Has thin mem-brane used to glide	Nocturnal, inquisitive, omnivorous, marsupial, lives in groups in the wild, needs attention, likes to jump and climb, playful	OTHER: Strict dietary requirements Branches, ropes, ladder and exercise wheel should be provided in cage. Need more height than width. Provide nest box or glider pouch in cage. Can be trained to travel in your pocket. Scent driven – have strong odor; scent mark Sharp teeth – have a tendency to bite Opposable thumbs and can easily escape from cage. Nails should be trimmed. HEALTH: Hypocalcemia, hypothyroidism, self mutilation, UTI, stress, periodontal disease.
FERRET	Subfamily or AKA	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat	Information	General Information
	Domestic ferret	Solitary or Group	F 13-14 M 15-16	6-10	Large, well ventilated cage with litter box. Temp 50-80F (not above 85F). Soft bedding on bottom of cage, such as towels, old t-shirts, etc. Hammock.	Short Shed twice a year.	Active dawn and dusk, but can adapt. Quiet, playful, will learn name; can be litter trained; mischievous; can learn tricks, verbal and visual commands. Play hide & seek, tug-o-war,	OTHER: Poor eyesight. Usually descented (removal of scent glands) before purchase. Musky odor that comes from skin glands. Need lots of exercise (out of cage minimum of 4 hours a day). Pets: Get along with larger pets dogs/cats (depending on the other pets’ temperament). Can be trained to wear a collar/leash. Weasel war dance: Series of sideways hops Nesting instincts: Will hide objects in the same spot. Good with older children. HEALTH: Should be vaccinated against canine distemper and rabies. Adrenal disease, Heart disease, Islet cell tumors, Lymphosarcoma, Splenomegaly, Gastric ulcers, UTI, Waardenburg syndrome (certain colors).
GUINEA PIGS or CAVY	Subfamily or AKA	Group or Solitary	Size Tail	Lifespan Years	Cage	Coat		General Information
	Abyssinian	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8	Large wire cage with solid bottom (4 square ft. per cavy). Temp. 60-80 F. Keep away from drafts. Tubes and sleeping box. NO EXERCISE WHEELS, BALLS OR RAMPS.	Short, rough coat with cow licked rosettes		OTHER: Awake throughout day and night. Cannot climb well. Not agile Can learn complex paths to food Startles easily Large groups will stampede to confuse predators Can be litter box trained. Good beginner pet for supervised children. Teeth grow continuously: Need to have wood to gnaw on BODY LANGUAGE: Popcorning: Hop when they get excited Stretching head forward: Watchful Stretch: Relaxation Shows teeth or rising up on stiff legs: Threatening posture Touching noses: Sniffing/greeting Legs under body: Helplessness Lowering head: Fear SOUNDS: Wheek or whistle: A loud noise of general excitement. Bubbling or purring: Enjoyment as with being petted. Chirping: Stress Chattering: Rapid teeth gnashing – warning Rumbling: Dominance or response to comfort Chutting/Whining: Sound made by the pursuer and victim. HEALTH: Respiratory infections Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) Cavies cannot manufacture Vit. C, do make sure they make up for it in their diet. Mange mites Corneal ulcers Pneumonia Heatstroke
	American	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Short, glossy hair without a part
	Coronet	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Long hair like the Silkie with a crest. ***Needs Grooming
	Peruvian	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Long coat that grows continuously over the body. ***Needs Grooming
	Silkie	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Long hair that flows over the body. ***Needs Grooming
	Teddy or Rex	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Short fuzzy hair that stands on end
	Texel	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Silkie with big curls
	White Crested	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Like the American, but with one rosette on the top of the head
	English Merino	Pair or Group	8-10	5-8		Curly coated Coronet with a crest