Table: Select Physiologic Data of Laboratory Animals a

Select Physiologic Data of Laboratory Animals ^a

Species	Gestation Period (days)	Litter Size	Age and Body Weight at Sexual Maturity	Usual Life Span (years)	Average Body Temperature (°C)	Heart Rate (bpm)	Water Consumption (per day)^b
Mice	19–21	4–12	6 weeks (20–30 g)	1–3	37	310–840	4–7 mL
Rats	21–23	6–14	1.5−3 months (0.2–0.3 kg)	2–3	37.5	300–500	8–11 mL/100 g
Guinea pigs	59–72	1–4	2–4 months (0.4–0.6 kg)	3–5	38	230–380	10 mL/100 g150 mL
Hamsters, golden	15–18	4–10	2–4 months (85–110 g)	2–3	37	280–410	30 mL
Gerbils	25	2–9	3 months (60–100 g)	2–5	38	250–600	4–7 mL/100 g
Rabbits	30−32	4–12	5–6 months (3–4 kg)	5–7	39	200–300	300–700 mL
Squirrel monkeys	150	1	2.5–3.5 years (0.6–1.1 kg)	16–20	39	300–380^c	70–110 mL
Rhesus monkeys	165–175	1–2	4–5 years (5–11 kg)	15–30	39	120–180^c	80 mL/kg
^a See also Features of the Reproductive Cycle .
^b Typical of an average adult; varies with body mass index, number of animals per cage, moisture in feed, temperature, etc.
^c Results obtained under anesthesia.