A rat moved in with Scooter

[I’m Scooter]

I have an enclosure that’s a modified dog house with heat, lights, food and water. It’s been pouring raining and the last two days I noticed a little rat hanging out in the enclosure. The enclosure is 40.8 X 26 X 27.6 Inch and Scooter is a little larger than the diameter of a softball. The rat and Scooter rest next to each other. There seems to be zero aggression and they actually look like they accept each other. Scooter lays down with his head completely out and legs and arms sprawled out like he’s on vacation and the rat lays next to him. I’m concerned that the rat will eventually turn on him and bite him. Is this a known problem or can a rat and a tortoise cohabitate?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome to the forum!

As you seem to already know. The rat is just there to get out of the rain.
The tortoise would rather be left alone. And eventually the rat WILL see how a bit of that tortoise tastes. He needs to disappear ASAP

 

[Maro2Bear]

….and there never is One rat. And the rat is defecating and urinating all over the hide & food & sleeping areas.

 

[Tom]

I have an enclosure that’s a modified dog house with heat, lights, food and water. It’s been pouring raining and the last two days I noticed a little rat hanging out in the enclosure. The enclosure is 40.8 X 26 X 27.6 Inch and Scooter is a little larger than the diameter of a softball. The rat and Scooter rest next to each other. There seems to be zero aggression and they actually look like they accept each other. Scooter lays down with his head completely out and legs and arms sprawled out like he’s on vacation and the rat lays next to him. I’m concerned that the rat will eventually turn on him and bite him. Is this a known problem or can a rat and a tortoise cohabitate?

Rats are one of the main predators of tortoises. Even large tortoises get maimed by rats. You need a properly insulated and closed up night box if your tortoise is going to be outside, and you need to exterminate the rats.

Look at these:

Tortoise attacked by rat (?)

My Hermann's Tortoise was attacked last night, probably by a rat. Deep bites to his front legs, and a bite on his face near the nose. This is my first time seeing this exotic vet. Any treatments I should be wary of?

tortoiseforum.org

rat bite

Hi there. My Angulate tortoise recently got bitten by a rat. I have been doctoring him with warm aloa soaks but now his skin is looking very very dry.and brittle. Can I use coconut or olive oil on his actual skin, not just on his shell

tortoiseforum.org

Take a look at this:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

There is a care sheet and night box links at the bottom.

 

[I’m Scooter]

Welcome to the forum!

As you seem to already know. The rat is just there to get out of the rain.
The tortoise would rather be left alone. And eventually the rat WILL see how a bit of that tortoise tastes. He needs to disappear ASAP

Thank you. Rat is going bye bye.

 

[wellington]

I also do know by experience that if there is food available the rats won't bother the tortoises. So until you can get the rat/rats, always have food available close to the tort so the rat will eat that and not your tort.

 

[enchilada]

I also do know by experience that if there is food available the rats won't bother the tortoises. So until you can get the rat/rats, always have food available close to the tort so the rat will eat that and not your tort.

yeah, i always prepare peanut butter placed in a cage trap and some boiling water for the cold and hungry rat

 

[zolasmum]

Scooter is a very lovely little chap. Don't risk him being injured in any way !
Angie

 

[wellington]

yeah, i always prepare peanut butter placed in a cage trap and some boiling water for the cold and hungry rat

I just always have left over tortoise food left out on the torts dishes. I use peanut butter but only for the death trap.

 

[enchilada]

I just always have left over tortoise food left out on the torts dishes. I use peanut butter but only for the death trap.

i use live traps, death may come later but never absent

 

[I’m Scooter]

yeah, i always prepare peanut butter placed in a cage trap and some boiling water for the cold and hungry rat

Why boiling water?

 

[enchilada]

Why boiling water?

so the rat no longer feel cold 😉

 

[I’m Scooter]

so the rat no longer feel cold 😉

Very nice of you.

 

[ShellingtonTheFirst]

Ah, please use a humane trap to get Mr. Rat! They’re still sentient animals.

 

[I’m Scooter]

Ah, please use a humane trap to get Mr. Rat! They’re still sentient animals.

I agree. I got a trap that allows me to release him somewhere else, still living

 

[ShellingtonTheFirst]

I agree. I got a trap that allows me to release him somewhere else, still living

Yay!

 

[Tom]

I agree. I got a trap that allows me to release him somewhere else, still living

I understand the intention, and I understand that people can be uncomfortable about killing animals, but releasing this animal somewhere else is about the most cruel and inhumane thing you could do short of intentionally torturing it. Many people want to do this, but they don't understand what is happening. Studies have been done on this for a variety of species. If you release a problem bear less than 300 miles from its point of capture, it will return home, or die trying while it is attacked by other bears in other territories, going without food, water or shelter, hit by cars, shot by humans, and who knows what other horrible things await it. 25 miles for a coyote. 3 miles for a rattle snake, etc... If you release the animal farther than whatever that distance is for the species, you have sentenced them to a cruel, painful, slow death. They don't know where the shelter, food, warm areas, cool ares, water or anything else is. They will be attacked by their conspecifics that hold that territory and other species too. This leaves them in a very uncomfortable state of sheer panic in unfamiliar territory with no idea where to go. If that animal is lucky, a predator will quickly get a hold of it and kill it fast. If the animal is not lucky, it will suffer until it starves to death, dies of dehydration, freezes to death, or roasts on a hot summer day, while it runs around with no idea where to go or what to do. This is not kindness. You aren't doing it any favors.

Also understand that the rat we are talking about is an introduced pest. They aren't native here and they wreak havoc on the native environment. They, and all other introduced pests, need to be humanely trapped or killed and removed from their non-native environment. Releasing them somewhere else to become someone else's problem, potentially spread disease, and infect new areas with non-native species, is not a good thing to do.

If you can't bring yourself to humanely euthanize this pest animal that is a danger to your pet, please find someone else who can. Its the kind thing, the right thing, to do even though it feels awful to do it.

 

[I’m Scooter]

Well, you aren’t any fun at a party. It has nothing to do with finding someone else to “euthanize” him. I just choose to not take your approach. I’ll make sure to release him just far enough to where he can make it back home. Hopefully that will tire him out and make him want to find shelter elsewhere. But right now the little $hit won’t eat the damn peanut butter!

 

[enchilada]

Well, you aren’t any fun at a party. It has nothing to do with finding someone else to “euthanize” him. I just choose to not take your approach. I’ll make sure to release him just far enough to where he can make it back home. Hopefully that will tire him out and make him want to find shelter elsewhere. But right now the little $hit won’t eat the damn peanut butter!

try leftover chicken or sausage. They love meat as much as I do 😂 unfortunately they also love fresh turtle/tortoise meat . I’ve lost baby turtles to rat . That’s why they are not going to leave my house alive

 

[TammyJ]

I have read and understand what Tom said, and I am afraid I agree. We may feel all warm and fuzzy when we do what we think is nice and kind, but in reality, it's not.