Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats???

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Posted by Jessica Curtis on January 01, 2002 at 16:13:34:

I've had two cases of canibilism and I've neer heard of it or seen it before in this species. Has anybody else had experience with it. I kept a whole clutch of them in the same quarters and I have to admit the were tight but not crowded. Then I came home after being out and I was down one and I had another very distended rat. Then a few days ago I had them together while I rearanged cages and another died I found it after it was dead and two of "his" littermates were busy knawing on him. I was hoping that the time perviously was the other snake had died some how and then the snake had just on the impule of seeing something dead, ate it. But this time it was clear canabilism the "victim" was in mid-shed when he was "attacked" and killed. It doesn't seem logical that they were starving they eat every 5 days and the second time they had eated two days earlier. This just seems off the wall to me I've never read anywhere else of this and I've kept adult black rats together and with other colubrids with no probelms. Could it be probelms with incubation? I incubated them myself and I will admit that the temperature wasn't exactly perfect...
I donno any thoughts would be appreciated.

Follow Ups:

Re: Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats??? Alan Garry 01/02/02 (4)
- Re: Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats??? Jessica Curtis 01/03/02 (3)
  - Re: Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats??? Alan Garry 01/05/02 (2)
    - Re: Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats??? Jessica Curtis 01/05/02 (1)
      - Re: Any one else heard of canabilism in black rats??? Alan Garry 01/05/02 (0)

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: I've had two cases of canibilism and I've neer heard of it or seen it before in this species. Has anybody else had experience with it. I kept a whole clutch of them in the same quarters and I have to admit the were tight but not crowded. Then I came home after being out and I was down one and I had another very distended rat. Then a few days ago I had them together while I rearanged cages and another died I found it after it was dead and two of "his" littermates were busy knawing on him. I was hoping that the time perviously was the other snake had died some how and then the snake had just on the impule of seeing something dead, ate it. But this time it was clear canabilism the "victim" was in mid-shed when he was "attacked" and killed. It doesn't seem logical that they were starving they eat every 5 days and the second time they had eated two days earlier. This just seems off the wall to me I've never read anywhere else of this and I've kept adult black rats together and with other colubrids with no probelms. Could it be probelms with incubation? I incubated them myself and I will admit that the temperature wasn't exactly perfect... : I donno any thoughts would be appreciated.

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