I especially loved the big derpy guy with extra fingers and toes. He was so cuddly I accused him of secretly being a dog.

There are many things rats are known for, but modesty is not one of them.

I don't have much experience with small humans, but I suppose they too don't have cemented ideas about there being only one proper way to sleep. 😄

The babies still have no names, but I have fallen in love with this one, who I didn't have much of a connection with when I picked them up. He's very sweet, a bit shy and has beautiful green-ish eyes I have never seen before on a rat.

Marilyn was probably the reason for some of the extra drama. She's a female rat visiting us for her honeymoon. The boys can smell her from another room and are acting as if they got an extra shot of testosterone (with removal of half of their brain cells too).

And Helsinki, sadly.

I was halfway going to complain about Helsinki being even darker, but it seems there's less than ten minutes' difference in the time of sunset right now. We're in the same boat then. I curse my distant ancestors who somehow thought leaving the tropics was a good idea.

Kuten myös! 😊

Hyvin todennäköisesti! Tule piipahtamaan meidän osastolla, jos muilta kiireiltä ehdit.

Sama suunta!

Oh, I would love to see them one day!

On mild winter days when temperature is around zero C, there can be quite a few insects searching for food, shelter or mates. (in slow motion due to the cold). I illustrated a few of them for a children’s magazine a while back.

Oh, I wish I lived somewhere with bugs year round! Though winter here is not completely dead. Some insects even walk on the snow.

Many moths and other insects overwinter as eggs or pupae, hidden in leaf litter, underground or tree crevices. Many produce antifreeze compounds to survive the cold.

I've been drawing moths for a couple of years and I'm still regularly baffled by how beautiful and intricate their colours and patterns are. They're just so small people don't usually notice them.

And to end with a lovely little detail: yesterday, Taika was meeting the little ones and apparently liked them so much that he refused to go back to the big cage with the big boys. Instead, he moved in with the babies. I tried to offer him his usual home several times, but he just wouldn't have it.

I’m taking an in-between approach with a short confinement in a moderately small space to ease their tensions enough that they actually can get to know each other without the babies getting immediately attacked by Rufus and Elmo. So far it's looking very promising. Wish us luck!