have less of an odor than males
are more adventurous than males
can be kept with other females or neutered males
are slightly smaller than males
have softer fur
less likely to urine mark
have more of an odor than females
are more docile than females
sometimes fight when placed with other males
are slightly larger than females
have coarser fur that can become greasy
will urine mark more often than females
Of course, there are exceptions to all of these gender stereotypes. There are male rats who do not mark and are more adventurous, and there are female rats who are very calm.
Neutering can remove some of the less desirable traits from males if done early enough, such as scent marking, odor, and greasiness of the fur.
For information on how to tell a male rat from a female rat, see the Sexing section of this website.
