Roof rats

[Niki]

I am wondering about my RT and roof rats. We have them everywhere where I live. About 6 months ago I did have traps put out. ( poison ). I hated it! I also volunteer at a bird/ mammal rehab center, so I know how it trickles down from rats to cats to hawks... And the poison can affect all of them. So...long story short, there is another nest of roof rats in my backyard in a bush. Greta lives in her enclosure which is covered, but the sides do have small openings a rat could get through. I am hoping to build her a better/ safer enclosure by next month. Is she safe for now? Do roof rats eat torts? I am looking into other options to get rid of them.

 

[wellington]

I have no idea what a roof rat is. However, in the city of Chicago, we have rats. I worry about my tort. I looked up if rats would eat torts and unfortunately, the answer was yes. Also read a story where a persons tort got it's leg chewed off by a rat. All I can suggest trying is putting your tort inside his outdoor tort house and closing him in until morning. Now if you had a large sulcata or Aldabra or even a leopard, one of the larger species and it is the size of a rat or larger, then I don't think you would have to worry so much. Good luck and explain what a roof rat is

 

[Niki]

Hehe... roof rats are basically rats that live here in phx/ Scottsdale area. They love the citrus ( we have a ton of citrus trees ) they are also known as black rats. They can get into your attic and chew up your electical cords etc.. They are a nuisance.
I am leaving town for a week... I have someone coming to check on greta. As soon as I get back I am having her enclosure rebuilt. I hope she is ok until I get back

 

[Tom]

Yes, rats are a danger to tortoises.

I only use snap traps, never poison. There is a definite art form to baiting and placing the traps. The smallest details make the difference between success and failure.

 

[yagyujubei]

The problem with poison is: http://youtu.be/UyGYXjyrvhY

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Yes, rats are a danger to tortoises.

I only use snap traps, never poison. There is a definite art form to baiting and placing the traps. The smallest details make the difference between success and failure.

Used to use peanut butter as bait , which worked fine, but since my daughter rescued a ferret (Barnabas), our rat problems are a thing of the past...ferrets are SERIOUS rat-catchers.

 

[ascott]

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1280.pdf

They are omnivores....so a rat is a rat....yes, they can cause harm to a tortoise if they so decide to....

 

[Niki]

It's so frustrating!! I have an exterminator who will trap them. I guess he can't let them loose somewhere else. He has to kill them I better figure out a way to keep Greta safe. Thx!

---

Used to use peanut butter as bait , which worked fine, but since my daughter rescued a ferret (Barnabas), our rat problems are a thing of the past...ferrets are SERIOUS rat-catchers.

My 6 yr old would love that... He sees the ferrets at the pet market and wants one so badly!

 

[Zamric]

Once a Sulcata, Aldabra or even a Leopard get to a certain size, the ONLY natural predator they have (besides Mankind) is Rats! The can get their little heads and teeth into the soft areas even when the Torts are pulled all the way into their shells.

 

[tortadise]

agreed rats are a very serious problem. Ive seen horror stories of radiated, and leopards legs being knawed on. I would get two birds with one stone, go with the ferret to please your son as well as deter rats, and also peanut butter on the snap traps work great. Do not try and catch them or touch them rats carry all sorts of infectious host, and parasites.

 

[Redstrike]

It's so frustrating!! I have an exterminator who will trap them. I guess he can't let them loose somewhere else. He has to kill them I better figure out a way to keep Greta safe. Thx!

---

Used to use peanut butter as bait , which worked fine, but since my daughter rescued a ferret (Barnabas), our rat problems are a thing of the past...ferrets are SERIOUS rat-catchers.

My 6 yr old would love that... He sees the ferrets at the pet market and wants one so badly!

---

A ferret would also chew your tort to bits. Any cats?

I would get some snap traps and place them along walls in fairly hidden areas where a rat would feel safe foraging.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

It's so frustrating!! I have an exterminator who will trap them. I guess he can't let them loose somewhere else. He has to kill them I better figure out a way to keep Greta safe. Thx!

---

Used to use peanut butter as bait , which worked fine, but since my daughter rescued a ferret (Barnabas), our rat problems are a thing of the past...ferrets are SERIOUS rat-catchers.

My 6 yr old would love that... He sees the ferrets at the pet market and wants one so badly!

---

One VERY useful pet...playful w/ dogs, cats and children, the Face of Hell to rodents.

Ours ignores my tortoises conpletely, as they won't play chase, so are not very interesting.

The evening after Kat brough Barnabas home, I took him to visit my friend Abe's farm, where he's had a lot of problems w/ rats killing/maiming his fowls (fancy chickens, doves, quail, etc.)...we let Barnabas loose and sat on a bail of hay and wached him do his thing...at about the two hour mark, he'd killed a lot of rats, and didn't start eating the first until he could no longer find any more alive. I now understand why these weasel-looking beasties were domesticated! They literally LOVE the hunt!

Abe bought himself two ferrets, the next day, much to his two kids' delight...and his/his wife's.

A ferret would also chew your tort to bits. Any cats?

I would get some snap traps and place them along walls in fairly hidden areas where a rat would feel safe foraging.

I assume a wild one might, but ours totally ignores my tortoises, once he realized that they won't play chase...otoh, he LOVES our cats and our dogs, my mini-hog, and my wife's goats and llama, but particularily Sourpuss (my personal cat) and my wife and daughter's Chihuahua herd, and Cleveland, our little Nigerian billy, because ferrets LOVE to play chase and they all share his enthusiasm and energy level...

Cleveland, and Barnabas are hilarious to watch...he's chase Cleveland up onto the the goat shed, and screech at Cleveland until he jumps down and chases him...after they get to the fence, about 200 yards, it's Barnabas' turn to chase...they'll do this about 20X and then Barnabas and Cleveland take a short nap, curled up together in the shade, and then it's on again! When I get my wife's video camera fixed, I'll put up some videos.

 

[Redstrike]

It's so frustrating!! I have an exterminator who will trap them. I guess he can't let them loose somewhere else. He has to kill them I better figure out a way to keep Greta safe. Thx!

---

Used to use peanut butter as bait , which worked fine, but since my daughter rescued a ferret (Barnabas), our rat problems are a thing of the past...ferrets are SERIOUS rat-catchers.

My 6 yr old would love that... He sees the ferrets at the pet market and wants one so badly!

---

One VERY useful pet...playful w/ dogs, cats and children, the Face of Hell to rodents.

Ours ignores my tortoises conpletely, as they won't play chase, so are not very interesting.

The evening after Kat brough Barnabas home, I took him to visit my friend Abe's farm, where he's had a lot of problems w/ rats killing/maiming his fowls (fancy chickens, doves, quail, etc.)...we let Barnabas loose and sat on a bail of hay and wached him do his thing...at about the two hour mark, he'd killed a lot of rats, and didn't start eating the first until he could no longer find any more alive. I now understand why these weasel-looking beasties were domesticated! They literally LOVE the hunt!

Abe bought himself two ferrets, the next day, much to his two kids' delight...and his/his wife's.

A ferret would also chew your tort to bits. Any cats?

I would get some snap traps and place them along walls in fairly hidden areas where a rat would feel safe foraging.

I assume a wild one might, but ours totally ignores my tortoises, once he realized that they won't play chase...otoh, he LOVES our cats and our dogs, my mini-hog, and my wife's goats and llama, but particularily Sourpuss (my personal cat) and my wife and daughter's Chihuahua herd, and Cleveland, our little Nigerian billy, because ferrets LOVE to play chase and they all share his enthusiasm and energy level...

Cleveland, and Barnabas are hilarious to watch...he's chase Cleveland up onto the the goat shed, and screech at Cleveland until he jumps down and chases him...after they get to the fence, about 200 yards, it's Barnabas' turn to chase...they'll do this about 20X and then Barnabas and Cleveland take a short nap, curled up together in the shade, and then it's on again! When I get my wife's video camera fixed, I'll put up some videos.

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Please do, I'd love to see them in action!