The official name of the macaroni rat is the North African fat-tailed gerbil (Latin name: Pachyuromys duprasi), which is about 10-13cm long and has a thick, thick fur that looks somewhat like a hamster. Unlike a hamster, it has a pointy nose and a fat, almost impossible, bat-like tail, which gives it its common name Fat-tailed gerbil. Macaroni mice store food and water in their tails, just like camels store food and water in their humps, so a healthy macaroni mouse should have a full tail. What should I start with in raising it?

Macaroni Rat

1. Personality

Macaroni mice are very cute, but they not only look like hamsters, but also behave like hamsters. Curiosity is the main attraction of the Mongolian gerbil, and the macaroni mouse is completely lacking in curiosity. Put them in the palm of your hand and they just sit there, showing no interest in their new surroundings and not trying to escape.

2. Litter

The macaroni rat's litter is very similar to the Mongolian gerbil. I use a 24 gallon aquarium just to hold a pair of macaroni rats. Like my gerbil, I made a fixed tunnel and large jar covered with a thick layer of sawdust. Macaroni rats seem to appreciate this arrangement, and they use the largest jar underneath as a nest. Whether they are underground or on the ground, the Macaroni rats are always very careful to cover the entrance and exit of their sleeping area. The Mongolian gerbil method is not without it. Like its cousin, the Mongolian gerbil, the macaroni rat is an excellent burrower, so deep wood chips are used for this reason. Since the macaroni rat's fur is very similar to that of chinchillas, I tried giving them a sand bath with chinchilla sand. However, they are not interested at all.

Tips: Due to the relatively dry and hard geology of the origin, it is not recommended to use wooden bedding materials for hamsters! It is best to use small particles of rock sand or dry hard soil!

Putting some toys in the cage like a paper tube from a toilet paper tube is equally frustrating. They had some interest in the rollers, but never got the hang of it, and they ran up and down so fast that they stumbled and fell out! One of the best things Macaroni mice do is sleep. They are very lazy animals, sleeping almost most of the time, only coming out for a short time (the owner may use a thick bed to make it burrow), and mainly eat and drink at night , and burrowing duties. They don't like being woken up and will bite you like a hamster if you poke them out of bed suddenly. However, when the macaroni rats are fully awake, they hardly like to bite.

3. Food

In order to prevent the lack of any necessary nutrients in this rodent, I feed the macaroni rat with the same mix of food as the Mongolian gerbil, They seem to be satisfied with their food. They love sunflower seeds, but like Mongolian gerbils, too many sunflower seeds in one meal can be bad for your health. The pointy nose of the macaroni rat may presumably be insectivorous in the wild, many times I give them mealworms, but they refuse to eat; I also offer some kinds of vegetables, but like the Mongolian gerbil, they only eat a little bit. However, compared to Mongolian gerbils, the macaroni rats drink considerably more water.

4. Fertility

It is recognized that breeding macaroni rats is difficult. A female and a male living together are much less likely to get pregnant than Mongolian gerbils. A pregnant or nursing female is likely to kill her mate if you do not separate males after mating. Although they will sleep together, like Mongolian sand, they are always arguing. When they fight, they scream loudly and bite each other's tails, usually with almost permanent bite marks on both tails. I would recommend raising a pair of same-sex macaroni mice for the first time, which should be easier to raise than a pair of the opposite sex. Macaroni mice can also be kept alone.