Two new rats, lots of questions

ive got two 10 week old bucks and im having trouble find info. the books ive got contradict themselfs. one male is making lots of noises like squeaks / chattering. is this normal? and the other one is a bit timid, how should i go about handling them? also how do i tell the difference between play and real fighting?

If your buck is chattering a lot to himself and making squeaking noises, it is very likely that he is sick and has a respiratory infection! You should probably get him to a vet as soon as possible. What kind of shavings do you have in their cage? Rats commonly conceive respiratory infections via the wrong kind of bedding (any kind of soft wood shaving). I suggest any sort of paper bedding (I use a bedding made out of recycled cardboard); although with paper (and, actually most things) you have to be careful never to let the rats ingest the bedding, as it may cause a blockage. In my experience, however, this is rare. None of my rats have ever so much as chewed on their bedding, let alone swallowed it. :D So you should be in the clear with paper bedding.

As for your timid rat, it could be that he is simply nervous. New homes are always frightening, and some rats simply don't take well to all of the excitement. My latest rat, Indy, was very timid when we first brought her home. Actually, she still is very timid. Little by little, however, she is warming up to me. We discovered that what we thought was behavior relating fear was actually a desire to snuggle (she is constantly scrambling full speed up my arm and diving down my shirt, where she will then curl up and fall asleep, bruxing like a mad woman.) xD