rat biting other rats

Question
i have 3 female rats about 16 weeks old.I have had them for 4 weeks they were bought from a pet store.One of the rats has started biting the other 2 rats around the face,ear and neck area and it doesn't look like grooming or playing.It looks quite aggressive. Can you please tell me why she is doing this.Also they are still quite nervous and jumpy.They do not come out the cage on their own accord even though we leave the cage door opened.If we lift the cage off they do occassionally run up our arms and when they do all they want to do is hide they are not very playful.Please could you tell me where I am going wrong and what my husband,daughter and myself can do.One last thing they sleep together in a hammock but recently they have biting through it and they are now hiding in it.


Answer
All of this is normal play, even the nipping from the other rat.
She should outgrow this.  As for being so nervous, they need to learn to trust you all.  DO you have a place for them to play that is safe?

Check out my website. I have made a few pages dedicated to trust training shy rats and also have a page on how to make a play area for the rats to play in that is safe and secure.  They need their own play area for starters, and you need to read up on how to get the girls to trust you.  If they are not properly socialized at birth, they are usually very shy and timid for many weeks, even several months.

Here is the URL.  Check out the two pages I have listed and of course you can go through the entire website after that.

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/trainingshyorbitingrats.htm


http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/gettingstarted.htm