Rats are social, intelligent, and trainable animals. Some rats, known as “fancy rats,” are kept as pets. Fancy rats are brown rats that have been domesticated. They also enjoy playing with toys. Male pet rats are more playful than female pet rats, and female rats are more active and curious. The black rat and the brown rat are the most well-known rats. These two are referred to as Old World rats. The origins of this group can be traced back to Asia.
- If a person tickles a rat every day after someday, he would start laughing on his own as soon as he sees that person.
- According to a study, rats can feel regret which is an emotional behavior thought to be unique to humans.
- Desert rats are the most loving rats in all rat species as they can copulate 122 times an hour.
- There are over 51 known species of rats or Rattus in the world.
- The scientific name of rats is the Rattus genus.
- Rats are omnivores and eat both plants and flesh.
- The total number of rats used for animal testing is about 250,000 to 1,000,000.
- Rats are very social animals; usually, they live in big colonies and can have up to 10-100 rats in each colony.
- Sumatra Bamboo rats are the biggest rat in the rodent family and can be 50 cm long with a tail of about 20 cm, and can weigh up to 4 kgs.
- Rats have a lifespan of over one to three years.
- The gestation period of rats lasts between 21 to 23 days. Female rats produce between 5 and 12 pups in each litter which vary from species to species. So in a year, they can produce about 5-10 litter which means a single female rat can give birth to about 100 rats in a year.
- The average-sized rat length is about 9 to 11 inches, plus a tail of size 7 to 9 inches.
- Rats can survive and can live longer without water than camels do.
- The teeth of rats never stop growing and can grow up to 5 inches every year.
- It’s been estimated that 18 percent of all phone cable disruptions and 26 percent of all-electric cable breaks are caused because of rats.
- About 25 percent of all fires are caused due to rats.
- One-third of the world’s food supply is disturbed and destroyed by rats.
- The rat is been called one of the world’s most destructive mammals.
- If a rat is without a companion, they feel lonely and depressed.
- Rats have a great memory have an excellent navigation skills. Once they learn a route, they never forget it. They even remember a person who is seen before.
- Desert rats do not sweat at all. They fulfill their water needs by collecting seeds, burying them until they are completely dried, and afterward using them as sponges to gather humidity from the air.
- The other species, called kangaroo rats, also do not drink water at all. They carry their own water source just inside them. They produce fluids from the food they eat and even the air they breathe.
- When the plague black death striked across England, one theory was that cats caused it. Thousands of cats were slaughtered. By chance, those who kept their cats were less affected, as the real culprit was rats, and cats ate them and saved their lives.
- Rats can’t see very well but have brilliant other senses like smell, hearing, touch, and taste.
- Rats can carry pathogens that can spread diseases. They can spread about 35 diseases, some of which are hantavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), leptospirosis, Tularemia, and Salmonella.
- Male rats are often called bucks, unmated females are called does, pregnant or parent females are called dams. Whereas their infants are called kittens or pups.
- A group of rats is known as mischief.
- Rats keep themselves and their partners clean by grooming each other.
- In India, there is a temple in Rajasthan state of India where rats are worshiped, and more than 15000 rats are roaming in the temple.
- Rats can swim very well and be in the water for up to 3 days.
