GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF LABORATORY - BRED MALAYSIAN WOOD RAT (RATTUS TIOMANICUS MILLER)

KAMAL A. KAMARUDIN

SUMMARY

Laboratory studies on Rattus tiomanicas (Miller) indicated that linear relationship between weights and ages up to the 20th week existed. At birth, males weighed 4.0 g and females weighed 3.8 g and were weaned about 28 days later at 34.0 and 30.0 g, respectively. Fifty percent of males were scrotal and half of the females had perforated vaginas by the seventh week after birth at mean weights 59.2 and ,56.2 g, respectively. Fifty percent of the females became pregnant for the first time by the 24th week and weighed 88.6 g. Fifty percent adult mortality occurred at mean ages of 34 weeks for males, and 40 weeks for females with mean weights of 114.0 and 106.4 g, respectively. Mean days to first birth ranged from 121 to 265 days (mean 202.6 days about the 29th week after birth). Their mean number of young varied from 3.6 to maximum 5.8, and litter sizes ranged from 2 to 9 throughout the life span of the females. The days between litters varied between 22 and 155 days.

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