Ugandans have every right to be curious about rats ever since The Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Monica Musenero made her infamous Shs8 million revelations.
Rats are becoming popular pets anywhere in the world. Go to a pet shop and you will surely encounter a rat for sale as a pet. Fancy Rats are domesticated brown rats which are the most common type of pet rats. The name Fancy Rat derives from the idea of animal fancy or the phrase, “to fancy” which means to like, or appreciate.
In this issue, we feed into your curiosity as we bring you some of the world’s most expensive rats.
Dumbo rat
Cost: $20 (About Shs70,000)
Dumbo Rats are unique fancy Rats because of their unusual appearance. These varieties of rats have ears located lower than their head. They were named for their resemblance to “Dumbo” the Elephant.
Zucker rats: $500 (About Shs1.8m)
Oversized or overweight pets look amazing. One of them is the Zucker Rat which was bred to be a genetic model for research on obesity and hypertension. These fancy rats are capable of weighing up to 1 kilogram which is more than twice the average weight.
Hooded Fancy Rat: $100 (About Shs350,000)
This variety of fancy rat is called Hooded Fancy Fat which is named for its appearance.
Himalayan Rat: $26 (About Shs90k)
Like Himalayan Cats and Guinea Pigs, Himalayan Rats are cute-looking animals for pet. These tiny mammals have a unique color and marking variation.
Black Rat: $70 (About Shs250k)
Black Rat or Rattus Rattus is a common long-tailed rodent that originated in Asia and became widely distributed in Europe in Roman Times. It can grow to a length of up to 46.4 cm and a weight of up to 340 g. Despite its name, the Black Rat exhibits several color forms. It is usually black to light brown in color with a lighter underside. There is also an unusual green tinted variety.
Sprague Dawley Rat: $222 (About Shs800k)
The Sprague Dawley Rat is a popular fancy rat pet. It is an out-bred multipurpose breed of albino rat used extensively in medical research. They are well-liked for their calmness and ease of handling. It can attain a weight of up to 520 g and a length of up to 10.5 cm. Sprague Dawley Rat can live up to 31/2 years.
Albino Lab Rat: $100 (About Shs350k)
The Albino Laboratory Rat is a breed of rat with red eyes and white fur. It is an iconic model organism for scientific research in a variety of fields.
Wistar Rat: $40 (About Shs142k)
Another awesome-looking albino breed of fancy rat is the active Wistar Rat. It was developed at the Wistar Institute in 1906 for use in biological and medical research. This breed of rat is presently one of the most popular rat strains used for laboratory research. It is characterized by its wide head, long ears, and having a tail length that is always less than its body length. The Long-Evans and Sprague Dawley Rat strains were developed from Wistar Rats.
American Blue: $150 (About Shs530k)
This fancy rat is a cool-looking fancy rat. The American Blue is one of several standardized coat colors.
Hairless Fancy Rats: $50 (About Shs180k)
Some pet enthusiasts prefer hairless pets due to allergy reasons or for their unique appearance. Even though this rat is hairless, the markings on its skin indicate that it is a hooded rat.