Welcome To The Rodent Encylopaedia
This website is being created by Kat (Thames Valley Rodents) with the intention to educate both new and experienced owners in the care of small exotic rodents in captivity. The aim is to provide care sheets for the many different species of rodents commonly and less commonly seen within the pet trade and to give guidance on breeding requirements and suitability as a pet.
Thames Valley Rodents is in the process of writting an encyclopaedia on the keeping, breeding and maintenance of exotic and domestic rodent species and this will be published and available to buy as soon as it is finished. In the mean time I decided that basic information should still be available to those that need it and so this website is being created. Please understand that although I try to update it as regularly as possible the TVR forum, the animals and the book are taking up much of my time. If you need any information on a species that does not yet have a care sheet available then please email me or post a message on TVR forums for a rapid response.
All species included in the TVR encyclopaedia and on this website will be given an experience level of between 1 and 5. The idea of this grading system is to allow people to decide whether they are knowledgable enough to keep a particular species. This helps the owner to make the right decision and ensures that the animal is receiving the best possible care.
A level 1 animal (e.g. a Syrian Hamster) requires minimal experience and is easy to keep, a level 3 animal (e.g. a steppe lemming) has more specific needs with regard to diet and breeding and is not suitable for a very inexperienced owner. A level 5 animal (e.g. a Guenthers Vole) has highly specific dietary requirements or is particularly tricky to breed and should only be kept by those who have plenty of rodent experience and have had success with a level 3 or 4 animal.
New species and pictures will be being added all the time so please check back regularly to see what changes have been made.
I have also included a series of articles written by friends and would like to thank them for allowing the inclusion of their work on this site. If you have an article, caresheet or more information on a particular species that you would like to see included on this site please get intouch via the 'Contact Us' page and I will try to include it.
As I keep and breed many of the species of animals included in this encyclopaedia I can often offer surplus stock up for sale. please check out the 'for sale' page for any available animals or fill out the further information form on the 'Contact Us' page and submit to me.
Kat
Unless otherwise credited all photos on this site were taken by Gemma Pickering
This site is curently under construction so please bear with me. I am updating it constantly so if you cannot find what you are looking for please check back soon. Alternatively you could email me telling me what species you require information on and I will get my self in gear and get a caresheet up for you.
LAST UPDATED 15/10/09
The freewebs address for this site will soon be changeing, more information will follow as soon as I know what im doing...
Kat - thamesvalleyrodents@hotmail.co.uk please feel free to email me.
many appologies to those who have sent me emails and failed to recieve a reply. I am rarely online these days and the forum is rather quite at the moment but I have made it my mission to revamp this website and hopefully generate some more interest in TVR forums. In the mean time, please keep checking back for new updates!
Kat
Click the above link to visit the TVR forums!!
