I would like to try to word with another wild type of rodent and was considering the Eastern Woodrat. I have already worked with multiple types of small animals incl. Degus, Mice(common), Rats(common), Spiny Mice, Asf, Chinchillas, multiple types of Hampsters etc.
1) Has anybody here worked with them before or currently and possibly have some advice on there care and caging? Food? Wiki states "it feeds opportunistically on nuts, seeds, fungi, buds, stems, roots, foliage and fruits." which is pretty common with small animals. I assume a common mouse/rat "complete diet food" would work well. The common food you get in pet stores.
2)Should I be concerned with and parasites or diseases more so than other small animals I hae worked with?
3)I looked up on Wiki here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_woodrat
As long as it is not a subspecies it apears it is a least concern animals. Are there any regulations on the federal level I should be aware of? I already checked my state laws and can keep them on a state level.
4)Can they be handled like many other common small animals or do they tend to be very aggressive/defensive like a typical WC house mouse/rat?
5)Last of all, if nobody commenting is working with them, would anbody know where to locate a few to get a small colony going.
Any advice/comments/concerns are appreciated and welcomed.
Thanks,
Jacob