Why no mammals section?

[rudukai13]

I just noticed the site doesn't have a section where members can post about mammals such as smaller rodents. I was wondering why this is? Does anybody keep small mammals in these naturalistic vivariums like with herps?

[D3monic]

Good question, I can not think of a mammal that could be housed in a viv that would not destroy it though. Anyone? I mean hamsters ...no, rabbit....lol no, chinchilla maybe if it had a air conditioner in it, Ferret...hmm would probably destroy it, My son...would fit nice in a 90 gal but would need to be acrylic so he wouldn't break it. Maybe a golden tamarin but aren't those illegal these days?

What kind of animals where you thinking?

[rudukai13]

Like small mice, rats, maybe a hedgehog. Just the more common small ones that are kept as pets. I'm not saying I'd be interested in doing it myself, just wondering if anybody else has.

[Greg H.]

Mammals need a comparatively large area if they are not going to destroy it, as they are generally more active - a hedgehog or sugar glider might work, IF the tank is at least 100 gal., and I would figure that 200 gal or more would be more appropriate.

[rudukai13]

Interesting. The wire cages that most people keep those animals in would be closer equivalent to a 50 gallon tank, right?

[Greg H.]

Sort of, but you have to remember that the habitat in a wire cage is substantially different - it's not built to be a vivarium with living plants that need time to regrow after the animal tore and trampled it down, just by crawling across it, and don't forget that often such animals are taken out to be handled - in a way it increases it's immediate living area that the animal has access to.

You could put such an animal in a 50 gal tank as long as you didn't care what happened to the decor, and cleaned it out every day - it's not so much the size, but the impact the animal has on it's immediate surroundings, and such a tank would leave it's occupant with very little to do, and that is when they start getting destructive - they are just trying to keep occupied.

[rudukai13]

Makes sense. One of the other things that spurred my opening of this thread was stumbling across this video on youtube:

YouTube - Rat Dives Deep Swimming Underwater *** MUST SEE ***

With all the "river's edge" vivarium and paludarium builds on this site, there was a small part of me that thought it intriguing to see this type of behaviour in a rat...

[D3monic]

I could see a sugar glider in a rather large tank with a sturdy tree or something but most of these animals would need good ventilation thus the Wire cages we normally see.

[beckdg]

if we get enough interest and threads pertaining to mammals/rodents surely we'll put in a request for such a section. it's just not common and we're a somewhat small community as-is.

all constraints in consideration, a viv for a mammal is surely possible. if one can be done for a bp or a gtp then destruction obviously can be overcome. if one can be done for a full size cham then open air is not the end of the world. if people can convert closets to vivs and house 4'-5' tall trees (bushes imo) then space is not a limiting factor. all things considered, a viv for a mammal would be more like an aviary in many ways most likely considering you'd need deeply rooted tough plants and most likely plenty of space to accomplish such a task.

[rudukai13]

What about putting together a smaller enclosure that didn't have plants but still had a more natural look to it than the regular wood shaving bedding with plastic cage furnishings? Like replace the wood shavings with an actual dirt mixture and use wood for furnishing?