When Samantha Rats Her Hair, She Doesn`t Even Need A Comb.

January 11, 1989|By Marla Donato.

Most people in Chicago probably haven`t heard of Samantha Martin, of Samantha and the Amazin` Acro-rats, but in Italy she`s quite a star.

Samantha, 24, who lives in the Lake View neighborhood, is one of the world`s few rat wranglers.

And after several obscure years on the nightclub circuit, where her rats have been performing such tricks as jumping through hoops, playing basketball and answering phones, Samantha and her rats are finally getting notice.

There was a recent independent film job, a few more film possibilities, a planned tour of the New York nightclub circuit-and the recent trip to Italy, where Samantha was stopped on the street for autographs after appearing on an Italian TV talk show. Samantha also took to Italy a half-dozen of her trained Acro-rats-which, while we`re talking, are running all over her, her roommate, Ramona Black, and the apartment.

The apartment is hot, pungent and crammed full of stuff on the floor and things hanging from the windows and walls. There are books, records, Halloween skeletons and pumpkins, stuffed snakes, Christmas garland, battery-operated spiders, fishing nets-and live cats and friendly Acro-rats running around.

It`s enough to make you want to break out in the theme from ``Ben,``

especially when Samantha starts talking about how she got interested in rats in the first place.

Sweet 16

``I`ve had rats since I was 16 and smuggled one into this military academy where my parents sent me my junior year because I was such a rebel,`` she says.

``I come from the ultimate middle-class `Cleaver` family in Princeton, Ill. But I was somewhat anti-social. I didn`t like anyone at the school, so one Christmas shopping trip I went into a pet store and bought a rat because it was much easier to hide than something like a cat. Animals can be so much nicer than people. Rats are smart and affectionate and they`re just like men in that all they want is to eat and have sex-but they`re a step above men. They`re much more loyal: They won`t leave you for the blond down the street.`` As Samantha talks, holding a rat in each hand, another races past a kitten lounging on the floor and scurries up a table to prance on top of a large glass tank that holds a 9-foot python. The rat pauses to glance up at a tarantula in a plastic container and then races by the 3-foot boa constrictor in a tank next to the python.

``I always had a way with animals,`` says Samantha, who could easily pass as an extra on the old ``Addams Family`` set, with her spiked jet-black hair, blue eyeshadow, spider earrings and avant-garde dress.

She cuddles one of the rats and gives it a kiss: ``But I seem to do really well with the so-called creepy animals.``

Going big-time?

So well, in fact, that Samantha, who has a degree in small-animal services from a community college in Iowa, is trying to make a go of rat management as an independent business. She hopes to work in the horror-movie circuit and wants to expand her current collection of animals.

But this is not so fine with Ramona, who is both her roommate and her professional assistant-and has found rats, snakes and spiders in her bed and the shower.

``The rats and snakes and even the spiders are okay,`` says Ramona. ``But I draw the line at bats, alligators and monkeys.``

At one time Samantha had nearly 100 rats, but now she has a couple dozen- some performers, some breeders and a some baby ``snake chow`` rats that are destined to be dinner for the boa and python.

The Acro-rats are all named after streets-Montrose, Cicero and Dearborn, for example-while the ``snake chow`` rats are christened with former boyfriends` names before they are let loose in the snakes` tanks.

For a while on the Chicago nightclub circuit, Samantha had snake-feeding demonstrations, where clubgoers would gather around to cheer as one of the snakes would swallow the ``snake chow`` whole.

Other rats just go to the bars on social calls.

Cuddly critters

``They`re very friendly,`` says Ramona, holding a baby rat in her hand.

``When we wear the rats out to stores and clubs, they`re very social. They run up and down the bar stealing ice cubes and taking sips out of people`s beers.``

Which brings up the question: Exactly how does one wear a rat out?

``Oh, they like to hang out in our hair,`` says Samantha. ``Usually people don`t notice until it`s too late.``

``It gives a whole new meaning to ratting your hair,`` adds Ramona.

Samantha explains that she`s only been biten once, and all of her rats-including the ones in cages in the front area ``rat room``-are disease-free pet store/lab rats.

``But even so, it`s a good thing our landlord lives in California,`` says Ramona. ``Because I think Samantha has been kicked out of every other apartment she`s been in since I`ve known her.``

Samantha, who moved to Chicago 2 1/2 years ago, nods and explains that she and Ramona usually tell squeamish people such as landlords that the rats are ``exotic African gerbils.``

That`s the line they used trying to get the rodents past Customs during the Italian trip, which brought on its own set of problems, such as how to sneak the rats in and out of their swank Rome hotel and around the Italian maids.

Obviously, being a rat wrangler isn`t all glamor. -