Nutritional and energy differences between Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus of different ages

The present study provides a comparative evaluation of the carcasses of frozen prey, with a specific focus on rodents, which are conventionally used as a food source for carnivores kept in captivity. However, there is a noticeable deficiency in recent studies characterizing the nutritional values of these prey in detail, as most previous investigations have relied on single-sample sizes. Furthermore, there exists a range of prey sizes from two commonly utilized rodents for carnivorous diets, each containing different nutritional information. The objective of this work was to assess the differences between Mercois (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus) within the same weight range, aiming to provide technical information for professionals in the field of animal nutrition who need to formulate balanced diets and may choose between these two species. Between sizes BP3 (4.1 to 6 g) and BP9 (36 to 50 g), the weights of the rodents are equivalent, differing only by the age of the two species. For this study, 56 individuals of each species were used to measure calcium, phosphorus, moisture, mineral matter, fat, protein, and energy. Mice exhibited superior values compared to Mercois, except for moisture, where the inverse was observed. This information facilitates the formulation of diets tailored to the individual needs of carnivorous animals.