Lab Animals

Avg life span of mouse

1-2 years

Avg life span of rat

2-4 years

Avg life span of rabbit

5-6 years

weight of female mouse

30g

weight of male mouse

35g

weight of female rat

300g

weight of male rat

500g

weight of female rabbit

6kg

weight of male rabbit

5kg

breeding onset of female mouse

6-7wks

breeding onset of male mouse

6-8wks

breeding onset of female rat

9-10wks

breeding onset of male rat

10-11wks

breeding onset of female rabbit

5 mo

breeding onset of male rabbit

6 mo

estrous cycle of mouse

4-5 days

estrous cycle of rat

4-5 days

estrous cycle of rabbit

15-16 days (induced)

gestation length for mice

19-21 days

gestation length for rats

20-22 days

gestation length for rabbits

31-32 days

weaning age for mice

21 days

weaning age for rats

21 days

weaning age for rabbits

4-8 weeks

litter size for mice

10-12

litter size for rats

9-11

litter size for rabbits

7-9

What is the most widely-used mammal in research?

mice

Why are mice most used for research?

prolific breeders, easy to maintain, and possess great genetic diversity

What are rats utilized for?

surgical manipulation and sample collection

Purpose of rabbits

pets, exhibited in shows, research, food, fur, byproducts

Order of mice

Rodentia

Order of rat

Rodentia

Order of rabbit

Lagomorpha

Genus of mice

Mus

Genus of rats

Rattus

Genus of rabbits

Oryctolagus

Species of mice

musculus

Species of rats

norvegicus

Species of rabbit

caniculus

Term for maternal side in mice

dam

Term for paternal side in mice

sire

Term for maternal side in rats

dam

Term for paternal side in mice

sire

Term for maternal side in rabbits

doe

Term for paternal side in rabbits

buck

Parturition in mice

pup

Parturition in rats

pup

Parturition in rabbits

kindle

Offspring of mice

pup

Offspring in rats

pup

Offspring in rabbits

kit

Forms of identification: short-term

felt tip marker on ear, tail, or shaved patch of skin; can also dye fur

Forms of identification: permanent

ear punching, ear tagging, and subcutaneously implanting a numerically coded transponder microchip

How big should the ear punch be?

0.5-2mm

What is the Lee-Boot effect?

housing female mice or rats in a cage where they will all enter a state of “persistent diestrus”

What is the Whitten effect?

using the bedding from a male rat for the bedding of females causing them to be in estrus 3 days later

What stages does estrogen increase?

proestrus and estrus

What does a spike in estrogen do?

it will make the vulva moister, pink in color, and more open

What happens in metestrus?

the vulva will be enlarged and the floor will have striations on it

What diet do mice and rats consume?

omnivorous

What type of digestive tract do mice and rats have?

monogastric

How much will rats consume in a day per 100g of body weight?

5g of feed and 10 mL of water

What are rabbits considered in terms of what/how they eat?

concentrate selectors, meaning they’ll gravitate towards feed with higher energy density

What diet are rabbits?

non-ruminant herbivores

How would one describe the hindgut of a rabbit?

enlarged

What is a caecotroph?

an animal that ingests its feces as soon as it exits the body to obtain additional nutrients from it

For rabbits, why do they ingest their feces?

it provides essential components of nutrition, including vitamins(all B vitamins), microbial protein, and VFAs(small amounts)

What is the typical photoperiod for lab animals?

14hrs light, 10 hrs dark or 12:12

Mice cage minimum for adults more than 25g

96.7cm²(15in²)

Mice cage minimum for female with a litter

330cm²(51in²)

What temp should a room with mice and rats be?

20-26 degrees C(68-79 degrees F)

What is the acceptable range of humidity for most mammalian species?

30-70%

Rat cage minimum size?

451.5cm²(70in²)

Rat with a litter cage minimum size?

800cm²(124in²)

Rabbit cage minimum size?

0.46m²(5ft²)

Recommended temperature for rabbit rooms?

16-22 degrees C(61-72 degrees F)