Physiological parameters for the rat are environmental factors, general physiological factors and blood values, as listed in the tables below.
| Environmental factors (unit) | Value |
|---|---|
| Temperature (ºC) | 20–24* |
| Relative humidity (%) | 55 ± 10 |
| Ventilation (air changes per hour) | 10–20 |
| Light/dark (hours) | 12–14 / 12–10 |
| Minimum floor area of the cage (cm²) | 800 |
| Minimum floor area of the cage per animal of a certain weight (cm²) |
200 (0–200 g) 250 (200–300 g) 350 (300–400 g) 450 (400–600 g) 600 (> 600 g) |
| Minimum floor area for breeding animal with pups (cm²) | 800 |
| Minimum cage height (cm) | 18 |
| Maximum light intensity animal room (measured at animal height in lux) | 60 |
* A higher temperature is required for newborns and animals that are ill or have undergone surgery. (Data modified from source: Van Zutphen, L.F.M., Baumans, V. and Beynen, A.C., Principles of Laboratory Animal Science, second edition, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 2001).
| General physiological parameters (unit) | Value |
|---|---|
| Adult weight (g) |
300–500 (male) 250–300 (female) |
| Lifespan (years) | 1–2 |
| Resting heart rate (beats per min) | 300–500 |
| Resting respiration rate (breaths per min) | 70–110 |
| Body temperature (ºC) | 37.5–38.5 |
| Number of chromosomes (2n) | 42 |
| Body surface (cm²) |
130 (50 g) 250 (130 g) 325 (200 g) |
| Water intake (mL/100 g/day) | 10–12 |
| Sexual maturity (weeks) | 6–8 (male and female) |
| Breeding age (weeks) | 10–12 (male and female) |
| Estrous cycle (days) | 4–5 |
| Estrous duration (hours) | 14 |
| Gestation (days) | 21–23 |
| Litter size (number of pups) | 6–12 |
| Birth weight (g) | 5 |
| Weaning weight (g) | 40–50 |
| Weaning age (days) | 21 |
| Blood values (unit) | Value |
|---|---|
| Blood volume (mL/kg) | 60 |
| HemoglobinHemoglobin Iron-containing pigment of red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body’s tissues via the bloodstream. (g/100 mL) | 14–20 |
| HematocritHematocrit The volume of red blood cells as a percentage of total blood volume. (% vol) | 36–48 |
| Leukocytes (×1000/mm³) | 6–17 |
| Glucose (mg/100 mL) | 134–219 |
