# Rodents eating their offspring **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490 "2004-09-22T15:07:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/1 "2004-09-22T15:07:16Z")
I’ve seen this a few times with pets - hamsters and rats, IIRC. The mother and/or father devours all or most of a new-born litter. What’s the reason for it? Is it merely an aberration? Does it happen in the wild, or is it just something that happens in captivity? Is there an evolutionary advantage to the habit? (Stress response: regaining lost protein in case of flight or lack of food, perhaps.) Do other mammals do it? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/2 "2004-09-22T15:11:27Z")
I had always understood that the reason it was done was so that predators couldn’t find the den. I don’t know if it’s the scent of the dead body that they would be attracted to, or just the fact that there would still be something in there all day when the others were out looking for food. That, and it’s probably nutritious. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/3 "2004-09-22T15:14:59Z")
1. It is not an aberration. It is somewhat common. 2. It happens in the wild too. 3. [Here is one theory although no one really knows.](http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99259.htm) 4. Rabbits, Rats, and mice (all rodents) eat their young but I am not sure if their are other mammals that do. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/4 "2004-09-23T03:28:49Z")
It’s widely regarded as being common with stressed animals, not so often with happy ones. In captivity (I work with mice) I’ve noticed that it’s more common with first-time mothers than with second litters. This is purely a WAG, since mothers DO have to eat the placenta and fetal membranes, and lick the babies clean, I wonder if they don’t just get confused sometimes. mischievous ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/5 "2004-09-23T08:05:06Z")
On the farm,we raised hogs for a while. After the sows littered,it wasn’t unusual to find half eaten piglets in their pens.This happened to every farmer who raised hogs in the area.It was just part of raising them.Some thought it was a way for the sows to get some sort of nutrition that they weren’t getting in their regular feed;some thought that mama had too little milk to feed them all,but she could have just killed one or two without eating half their bodies.And I’m not sure about this after all this time,but I remember them always eating the same half. 'Scuse me,I hear mom calling from the house;it’s supper time.I hope we’re having Swiss steak and mashed potatoes and corn scraped off the cob,and strawberry shortcake for dessert! Boy,this post made me hungry.I can almost see the ghost of Atkins waggling a warning finger at me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/6 "2004-09-23T09:11:00Z")
Although it can happen anytime, it most often occurs when the population reaches certain levels. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rodents-eating-their-offspring/265490/7 "2004-09-23T12:36:01Z")
Will attempt an answer from my five years experience of raising the buggers (Campbell’s Dwarf Russians, to be precise). > [@jjimm](#): > > I’ve seen this a few times with pets - hamsters and rats, IIRC. The mother and/or father devours all or most of a new-born litter. I’ve never observed the meal itself, just the aftermath. I would imagine it’s the mother who does this, as males tend not to be (overly) involved with the babies. > [@jjimm](#): > > What’s the reason for it? Difficult to be certain, but likely to be one or a combination of the following: first time mum, disturbed nest, weak/sick offspring. > [@jjimm](#): > > Is it merely an aberration? It’s not common - happened once in my experience of about 20 litters. > [@jjimm](#): > > Does it happen in the wild, or is it just something that happens in captivity? Don’t know - keep putting off that field trip to Sino-Russian border! > [@jjimm](#): > > Is there an evolutionary advantage to the habit? (Stress response: regaining lost protein in case of flight or lack of food, perhaps.) What’s evolution?! > [@jjimm](#): > > Do other mammals do it? The birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Honestly, no idea.