Figure 1: Self barbering in 6-month-old female rat (Irma).
Case history and photos
Irma seen here is approximately 6 months old, and is a self barber. Seen below in the photos, she has groomed a significant area of her abdomen resulting in a “clean shaven” appearance. She is housed along with her sibling who does not appear to show signs of this type of behavior. Interestingly, Irma’s mother is also noted to be a self barber preferring to groom the hair from both forearms.
Photos
Photo 1: Barbered abdomen. |
Photo 2: Additional view of same. Note the clean appearance of the groomed site. No lesions or breaks in the skin. |
Case history and photos courtesy of William Oulton & Virginia Simpson