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- Rats are medium-sized rodents with a long tail. A group of rats is called a ‘mischief’!
- Rats are mainly nocturnal and live underground. Although they vastly outnumber humans, we rarely see them. They are experts at staying out of sight!
- Throughout human history, rats have travelled with us around the planet, stowing away on boats and settling wherever humans live. They feed on the food we throw away and can spread diseases among humans, like the medieval Black Death, which was spread by fleas that lived on rats.
- Rats’ super-strong teeth never stop growing! They have to keep nibbling to wear them down – or eating would become impossible!
- Similar to humans, rats often give in to peer pressure. As they feel the need to conform, they will do whatever their peers do. It can be fun to watch pet rats mimicking each other’s behaviors.
- When rats play, they make sounds similar to laughter. However, humans cannot hear these sounds. Rats really enjoy having a good time!
- When rats are members of a group, they will take care of others in the group that are sick or injured. Rats are altruistic, too. They will help another rat that is suffering, even if they do not know the animal.
- A rat’s teeth continue to grow throughout its life. One reason rats chew and nibble is to keep their teeth worn down so they can eat.
- How Big Can Rats get?
- Where Do Rats Live?
- Rat Habits
- What Do Rats Eat?
- Rat Breeding
- Rat Taxonomy
- Common Rat Species
- Rat Conservation Status
- Other Rat Facts
- Additional Resources
With nearly 60 species of rat discovered so far, these rodents come in all sizes. They are typically 5 inches (12 centimeters), or longer, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The largest species of rat is the Bosavi woolly rat, which was discovered in 2009 in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea (and doesn't have a scientific name yet). It is about...
Rats are found all over the world. For example, the ricefield rat (Rattus argentiventer) is found in Southeast Asia, the Australian swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) is found in Eastern Australia, and Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), also called brown rats, are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica, according to the Animal Diversity We...
Overall, rats live to forage and mate. Most rats are nocturnal, though the brown rat is often awake day or night. Rats usually stick together in groups called packs. New packs are formed when a male and female go off on their own and nest in an area that doesn't already contain a pack. Brown rats are usually led by the largest male in the pack. Oth...
Rats are omnivores, but many prefer meat when they can get it. House and brown rats usually use humans for their primary food source. They will scavenge through trash or eat any food that is left unprotected. Rats have also been known to eat grain or kill insects, water creatures such as snails, fish and mussels, small birds, mammals and reptiles f...
Before their offspring are born, rats build nests from any material that can be foraged from the area, including branches, grass, trash and paper. These nests are usually built in crevices, in rotting trees or in buildings. Rats, generally, are baby-making machines. Female rats can mate around 500 times in a six-hour period and brown rats can produ...
Here is the taxonomy of rats according to ITIS: 1. Kingdom: Animalia 2. Subkingdom: Bilateria 3. Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia 4. Phylum: Chordata 5. Subphylum: Vertebrata 6. Infraphylum: Gnathostomata 7. Superclass: Tetrapoda 8. Class: Mammalia 9. Subclass: Theria 10. Infraclass: Eutheria 11. Order: Rodentia 12. Suborder: Myomorpha 13. Superfamily: ...
Common rat species include: 1. Rattus argentiventer — Ricefield rat 2. Rattus hoffmanni — Hoffmann's Sulawesi rat 3. Rattus lutreolus — Australian swamp rat 4. Rattus norvegicus — Norway rat, or brown rat 5. Rattus osgoodi — Osgood's Vietnamese rat 6. Rattus rattus — House rat, or black rat 7. Rattus xanthurus — Northeastern Xanthurus rat, or Sulaw...
The International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) lists 16 rat species on its Red List of Threatened Species. They are considered threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat and decreasing populations. Near Threatened 1. Rattus elaphinus(Sula Archipelago rat) 2. Rattus feliceus(Spiny Seram Island rat) 3. Rattus jobiensis(Yapen rat) Vul...
Brown and house rats have made a number of mammal, bird and reptile species extinct, especially on oceanic islands, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. They have also spread of diseases among humans, including bubonic plague. (However, recent research suggests that parasites living on rats, such as fleas and lice, may be the more likely culpritbe...
Rats are notorious stowaways that migrated around the world along with humans; today they live wherever Homo sapiens are found, on every continent except Antarctica.
Everything you should know about the Rat. The Rat is a mid-size rodent, which is considered a common pest, though some species are kept as pets.
Amazing Facts About the Rat. Rats take care of injured and sick rats in their group. Without companionship rats tend to become lonely and depressed. Rats have excellent memories. Once they learn a navigation route, they won’t forget it.
Rats are rodents that are widely distributed and common in Britain, occuring in the countryside and urban areas. They are highly social and adaptable mammal and feed on a wide variety of foods. They can make their homes underground or in compost heaps, in buildings, greenhouses, sheds or drains.
