What should you call a female rat? - briefly
The term for a female rat is “doe.” In breeding contexts, she may also be called a dam.
What should you call a female rat? - in detail
The standard term for an adult female rat is “doe.” In the same way that male rats are called “bucks,” the female counterpart adopts the deer‑derived nomenclature used for many small mammals. This label appears in laboratory manuals, breeding records, and wildlife literature.
Alternative designations occasionally surface:
- “Sow” – sometimes applied in commercial breeding contexts, though less precise because the word is primarily associated with pigs.
- “Female rat” – the literal description used in scientific papers when gender distinction is needed without employing a common name.
- “Hen” – a colloquial term found in some pet‑owner circles, not recognized in formal taxonomy.
Etymology traces “doe” to Old English dā, meaning a female deer. The term migrated to other species through analogy, providing a gender‑specific counterpart to “buck.” Its adoption for rodents dates to the 19th century, when naturalists sought uniformity across mammalian nomenclature.
In research settings, the designation “doe” simplifies data logging: breeding pairs are recorded as buck‑doe, litters inherit the mother’s status, and sex‑specific studies reference the term directly. When precision is required, the scientific name Rattus followed by the sex indicator (e.g., Rattus norvegicus female) may accompany “doe” to avoid ambiguity.