On the threatened to be endangered list...

[GingerRose]

These are 4 day old, orphaned Allegheny Woodrat pups.
Had to renew my State license just for these babies...
Wish me luck..
86 days to go...

 

[Aunt Angus]

These are 4 day old, orphaned Allegheny Woodrat pups.
Had to renew my State license just for these babies...
Wish me luck..
86 days to go...View attachment 3349240View attachment 3349241View attachment 3349243

Wow! Those are some tiny babies!

 

[GingerRose]

Wow! Those are some tiny babies!

They are, and still real weak.
Finder left them alone for 2 days to see if momma would return, she didnt.. These are my first nest of rat pups..
Hopefully I can keep them alive.. I feel real confident at this point. They are a little more difficult than squirrel babies. But, 2 days in and still alive!!! 3 more days alive and I can celebrate a milestone...

 

[Aunt Angus]

They are, and still real weak.
Finder left them alone for 2 days to see if momma would return, she didnt.. These are my first nest of rat pups..
Hopefully I can keep them alive.. I feel real confident at this point. They are a little more difficult than squirrel babies. But, 2 days in and still alive!!! 3 more days alive and I can celebrate a milestone...

It's awesome that you help out like this! Keep us posted! I would LOVE to see their progress!!!

 

[GingerRose]

I absolutely will.
...being on the threatened list makes it a little stressful. State statistics say there are probably less then 80,000 noted individuals...
These particular ones are below the lowest recorded boundary for Alabama... Maybe the statistics are off a good number..

 

[GingerRose]

Sad to say, one of the babies died. I knew/know it was/is a real possibility. They all have a slim chance to start with being so very young and left alone those 2 days.
I really have no idea if they even got any colostrum from momma rat.
...and, you never truly know for sure the situation of how they were found or how they came to be orphaned..
For sure I do know, they will get all I have to give. Bless those little tiny hearts.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sad to say, one of the babies died. I knew/know it was/is a real possibility. They all have a slim chance to start with being so very young and left alone those 2 days.
I really have no idea if they even got any colostrum from momma rat.
...and, you never truly know for sure the situation of how they were found or how they came to be orphaned..
For sure I do know, they will get all I have to give. Bless those little tiny hearts.

That baby has a fighting chance it didn't have before you. I'm sorry it didn't make it, but all of them definitely would have died had you not intervened.

 

[GingerRose]

That baby has a fighting chance it didn't have before you. I'm sorry it didn't make it, but all of them definitely would have died had you not intervened.

Definately. I never chose to "specialize" in rat pups because I have heard how hard the first week is. The 3 remaining have a healthy appetite today, so far.
I pray for them every time I walk away after feeding and cleaning them up..

 

[GingerRose]

This is what it looks like at feeding time, every 2 hours... It takes me no less than15 minutes to get each one full. Each one has a favorite way to be positioned to eat, and the now smallest one is so wiggly and all over the place. The formula makes them slippery too.. LoL..
This is definately a challenge, but I am up for it.
I dont have a small enough "nipple" for their tiny mouths. I could order some, but they would have to get used to something different and they do fine with this disposable dropper thing.

Hopefully, only 2 more days of every 2 hour feedings. All babies are different. In theory a week of 2 hour feedings is the normal schedule. I have found out that its not always the case. They may need this schedule a few more days longer... Whatever it takes to get them to the 21 day mark.. They will be totally "out of the woods" at that time.
They are fully mature at 90 days. Crazy, huh? 85 days to go and I can release them...
Our neighbor is a game officer, he is trying to figure out the best location for release.
This species rat lives singular and only group up to mate... Males are extremely territorial and violently defend their own.
Females tolerate each other and nest close to each other. Usually if a nest of babies are orphaned, a close momma with a nest of babies will gather the orphaned babies up and raise them as her own. Rats have been known to be some of the best parents. They dont cull sickly babies for some reason, and dont have the "survival of the fittest" behavior, like most animalia.

I would post a video, Im just not that savvy...

This is (I think) boy #1

This is (I think) boy #2

This is a little girl (maybe).
So hard to tell.

 

[GingerRose]

Update:
Another rat pup has died. Sadly, I dont expect the remaining 2 will survive (although I HOPE and PRAY they do). The pair remaining are the smallest ones, now believed to be girls. Consulting with other rehabbers, wild rat pups orphaned so early, are very difficult to raise, even with a domestic lactating rat or even with a domestic surrogate rat, with pups.
At best, a surrogate wild rat momma would be best..
Of course, being on the threatened list.... almost impossible to obtain.
I have given them my best.
I will continue giving the pair my best. Still on a 2 hour feeding schedule..
I have an idea, as well as the others, something missing in the formula only their momma can provide in her milk. Unless I missed something between feedings because they are in a separate room. I may have to carry the pair in my pocket, I dont know... Theres no bloat (I know how to handle that if it had occured), no constipation (same), they were eating well, none had lost weight ( I have a good gram scale), I even offered some fresh distilled water. Just early wild babies.
I knew this was going to be a difficult experience.
I cant say that I won't try it again. I just HOPE the opportunity never occurs..
I havent done extensive research on this, but there seems to be little to no wild rodent rehabbers. Definately none in Alabama. There is a list of each person with a license, by county, for each state which lists the animal accepted by that licensee knowledge/preference which also consideres avaliable housing/training for said animal.. Alabama has only 14 people with license, 3 counties lists the same person twice. (Not sure why), possibly teaching or training centers maybe?? Alabama has had some of the strongest laws/rules of wildlife rehabilitation applications. Causing a huge NEED for rehabilitators.
Nature is ALWAYS left best as nature. "They" say, leave them be, part of the balance, provides food for another wildlife species, etc...
Unfortunately we, me included at times, intervene because we care. Thus, the wildlife rehabber license exists. We rehabilitate, not ignore.
I care deeply for these and all orphaned babies, as well as the injured that only need a little assistance to get back to where they need to be. I have gave, cried, loved, cried, lost, cried, succeeded, cried, failed, cried, cried, cried.... Its 40/60 good to bad with the youngest of orphaned mammals.
I will continue because we, as humans, feel the need to help... Whether it turns out good or bad. Wild is wild.
I know, as all of us rehabbers know, we cant precisely duplicate/replicate the exact/perfect world for the orphaned babies. All we can do is use all the resources provided and use our experience as well as our "knowing what to do". We are a different kind of people, not everyone is up to it, and thats NOT a bad thing. I know, myself, sometimes, I wish I could say no and leave it be... "wild is wild".
Im not saying Im a "better" or more "compassionate" person by any means. Im saying its HARD and trying and stressful and exhausting and difficult time consuming and I could go on and on... that stressful 60% of the experience makes you want to never do it again... BUT, theres the 40% thats joyfully tearful, knowing you did your absolute BEST for a tiny little, mostly ignored by the world baby (these rat pups for example)... that would have just died and a number added to the increasing number of individuals declining on the threatened list toward becoming extinct...
Just rats... created by our creator (in my belief, maybe not everyones belief, and that too, is okay). I feel they deserve a chance just as an orphaned raptor deserves...

Anyway.
I just needed to get all that off my heart and mind...
Many may disagree with me, and that is okay. The world needs the balance of different opinions and beliefs...
I mind my own and Im okay with it...

I wish, at times, we as humans (including ME) could use our heads and not our hearts. Wild is wild, nature is nature, its part of a grand design...


Apparently, my own hyprocisy goes very far... LoL
(Doc Holliday would say his only goes so far...) .

...and its okay...



***I feel much lighter now***