GRPP (gratuitous rat picture post)

[ratcreature]

It's been a while since I posted pictures of my rats.


There is a disproportionate number of pictures that show them munching on rice waffles. That is because they sit still then, and are too busy with eating to bother investigating the camera. I can't count the number of times I get photographs of a tail with the rat vanishing off camera, or just a rat nose against the lense.

Leo & Noah:


Linus:


And Leo again:


Noah actually likes belly scritches (many rats are not so thrilled with them in my experience):


Sometimes he even lies down with his belly visible to invite scritches, however in the picture below he had just lost a scuffle and was just still playing dead and just lying very still as the loosing rat sometimes does (when he wants scritches he doesn't look so uncomfortable and like a dead rat):


However a moment later I used the opportunity to scritch his inviting belly anyway (and a bit later he relaxed):


And finally two more of Leo:

Comments

[marinarusalka]

Aw, they're adorable. I love their little pink ears.

[ratcreature]

At first the dumbo ears of Leo and Noah looked odd to me, but I've come to really like them.

[parhelion]

They are indeed adorable. I'm a big fan of those whiskers.

[ratcreature]

They are quite fetching, and apparently together with the noses make up well for their not so great eyesight.

[cereta]

Awww, cuties!

[ratcreature]

The main purpose of the internet after porn: sharing pet pictures. ;)

[bluemeridian]

Belly scritches! He looks so pleased with you in that first scritching pic. :)

[ratcreature]

Yeah. In the right mood he really likes them. And with rats you don't get any surprise claw marks like you might get with cats either.

[brownbetty]

N'aww. I like Linus' little face. It is very open, and friendly looking.

[ratcreature]

He is. And it is not even a front. ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

So cute!

[ratcreature]

Yeah, and good for them. They wouldn't get away with half as much if they couldn't turn on their "Am I not adorable?" look after having chewed or peed on something... *g*

[iamza.livejournal.com]

Their fingers/toes are so tiny, but it always amazes me how much they look like human fingers.

Noah looks so adorably sleepy when he's having his belly tickled.

[ratcreature]

Perhaps it's the shared ancestry coming through? Aren't the first ancient mammals that ran away from the dinosaurs supposed to have been quite rodent-like? So maybe it's just the archetypal mammal. I guess we are lucky that they don't have thumbs or we'd be all doomed. OTOH they can grasp surprisingly well with just their four fingers.