friendship
26-12-2008, 08:54 PM
the baldies among the rodent-kind!
some think them cute.
anyhow, here's the gunk!
irony over hairless rodents.
"There is controversy among rat fanciers regarding selective breeding. [of rats][15][16] On one hand, breeding rats to conform to a specific standard or to develop a new one is a large part of what the hobby was founded on. On the other hand, the process results in many rats who do not conform and are then either given away, sold as food, or killed—referred to as culling.[17] Additionally, there are concerns as to whether or not breeding hairless and tailless rats is ethical[this is geno-cidal]. The tail is vital for rats' balance and for adjusting body temperature.[this from humans!] Tailless rats have greater risk of heat exhaustion, poor bowel and bladder control, falling from heights [vertigo], and can be at risk for life-threatening deformities in the pelvic region like hind leg paralysis [disability] and megacolon.[18] Similarly, hairless rats are less protected from scratches and the cold without their coat.[trueism!] Some groups, like the NFRS, prohibit the showing of (these varieties) at their events and forbid advertisement through affiliated services [selectively according to species]" hairless rodents.
hairless genes in rodents. wiki.
"There are currently three known genes that cause recessive hairlessness in laboratory rats. They are denoted as rnu (Rowett nude), fz (fuzzy), and shn (shorn). When an organism is identified as having a visible recessive trait, the gene pair (from the father and mother) is listed as such: rnu/rnu. All three gene types have characteristic health problems. All three types (rnu/rnu, fz/fz, and shn/shn) have curly whiskers and may potentially be identified as Patchwork rats. Despite their health problems and difficulties with weaning, they are all still fertile and have normal sized litters.[18]
* Rowett nudes, first identified in 1953 in Scotland, have no thymus. The lack of this organ severely compromises their immune system, infections of the respiratory tract and eye increasing the most dramatically. Their average life span is about nine months.[18]
* Fuzzy rats were identified in 1976 in a Pennsylvanian lab. They are prone to malocclusion, or tooth misalignment - and about half of all males and 75% of all females require their teeth to be regularly trimmed to maintain normal function. However, the leading cause of death among fz/fz rats is ultimately a progressive kidney failure that begins around the age of one. Even in germ-free conditions, all males and 80% of females will die from kidney failure. Their average lifespan is 17 months for males and 20 months for females.[18]
* Shorn rats were bred from Sprague Dawley rats in Connecticut in 1998.[19] They also suffer from severe kidney problems. All rats with this genotype die of severe kidney abnormalities by 14 months of age. Their average lifespan is only around 10 months.[18]"
* its not the hairlessness that's the problem.
* hairlessnes as an astetic, combined with color vision, brain processing ability. (over primary survival).
* but does it matter?
some think them cute.
anyhow, here's the gunk!
irony over hairless rodents.
"There is controversy among rat fanciers regarding selective breeding. [of rats][15][16] On one hand, breeding rats to conform to a specific standard or to develop a new one is a large part of what the hobby was founded on. On the other hand, the process results in many rats who do not conform and are then either given away, sold as food, or killed—referred to as culling.[17] Additionally, there are concerns as to whether or not breeding hairless and tailless rats is ethical[this is geno-cidal]. The tail is vital for rats' balance and for adjusting body temperature.[this from humans!] Tailless rats have greater risk of heat exhaustion, poor bowel and bladder control, falling from heights [vertigo], and can be at risk for life-threatening deformities in the pelvic region like hind leg paralysis [disability] and megacolon.[18] Similarly, hairless rats are less protected from scratches and the cold without their coat.[trueism!] Some groups, like the NFRS, prohibit the showing of (these varieties) at their events and forbid advertisement through affiliated services [selectively according to species]" hairless rodents.
hairless genes in rodents. wiki.
"There are currently three known genes that cause recessive hairlessness in laboratory rats. They are denoted as rnu (Rowett nude), fz (fuzzy), and shn (shorn). When an organism is identified as having a visible recessive trait, the gene pair (from the father and mother) is listed as such: rnu/rnu. All three gene types have characteristic health problems. All three types (rnu/rnu, fz/fz, and shn/shn) have curly whiskers and may potentially be identified as Patchwork rats. Despite their health problems and difficulties with weaning, they are all still fertile and have normal sized litters.[18]
* Rowett nudes, first identified in 1953 in Scotland, have no thymus. The lack of this organ severely compromises their immune system, infections of the respiratory tract and eye increasing the most dramatically. Their average life span is about nine months.[18]
* Fuzzy rats were identified in 1976 in a Pennsylvanian lab. They are prone to malocclusion, or tooth misalignment - and about half of all males and 75% of all females require their teeth to be regularly trimmed to maintain normal function. However, the leading cause of death among fz/fz rats is ultimately a progressive kidney failure that begins around the age of one. Even in germ-free conditions, all males and 80% of females will die from kidney failure. Their average lifespan is 17 months for males and 20 months for females.[18]
* Shorn rats were bred from Sprague Dawley rats in Connecticut in 1998.[19] They also suffer from severe kidney problems. All rats with this genotype die of severe kidney abnormalities by 14 months of age. Their average lifespan is only around 10 months.[18]"
* its not the hairlessness that's the problem.
* hairlessnes as an astetic, combined with color vision, brain processing ability. (over primary survival).
* but does it matter?