8 Surprising Facts About Rats

8 Surprising Facts About Rats

Rats are one of the most dreaded pests because of several key factors: their size, numbers, diet, diseases, and destruction. Most of us know the basic facts of rats and how they spend their lives, but there is more to these rodents besides their nocturnal habits and constant squeaking. Let’s take a look at some lesser-known rat facts and why their impressive list of abilities make them a difficult pest to treat. 

Rats Are Fertile Every 3 Weeks

As if adult rats weren’t enough to deal with, they are capable of reproducing an uncomfortably-high number of times. Rats can start reproducing anywhere from five-weeks-old to three-months-old. Their life span is usually about two years, and they can continue reproducing up until the end. The mother rat is pregnant for about three weeks before giving birth. In every litter, there is anywhere from six to twenty newborn rats. Talk about a big family! The young rats spend the next few weeks growing and adapting to the world by gaining their eyesight, mobility, and appetite for other foods. They then go away from their mother and are independent young rats searching for all the food and water they can ever dream of. The new rats search for their own shelter and can start growing their own family, while their mother is still reproducing until her end. If a rat family invades a home or business, it can mean hosting a few generations of rats if the problem is not immediately solved. 

A Rat’s Teeth are Constantly Growing

This may not be a new fact for anyone who owns or has owned a pet rat, gerbil, or hamster, as it is the same case with all of them. A rat’s teeth are always growing in length, no matter how old they are. Long teeth help them to chew through all kinds of materials that many creatures cannot, but they can become dangerous for the rat if left unchecked. When the teeth grow too long and aren’t worn down, they are too big for the rat to use and prevent them from eating, which will be detrimental before long. This is also why rats chew through everything; they are keeping their health in check while simultaneously hunting for food and nest materials. Besides actually using their teeth to eat, rats chew through objects like aluminum, cinder blocks, fabric, paper, cardboard, plastic, and building materials to make their homes and get where they want to go. Rats also chew through electrical wiring if it is in their way, which is an major fire hazard and has caused many house fires in the past. We understand the rat trying to keep their teeth down, but chewing on something a little less “sparky” would be preferred. 

A Rat’s Long Tail Has Purpose

The long, scaly tails of rats are off-putting to many people due to the length and lack of fur. But there is much more to their tails than we may think. First of all, their tails are not a separate appendage from their bodies. A rat’s tail is an extension of their vertebral column, which means it is technically part of their backbone. Secondly, their tails help them in two main ways: temperature control and balance. The tail adjusts to keep the rat warm or cool, depending on the outside conditions. In hot weather, the blood vessels control the body temperature and allow blood to flow through the tail before going back into the body, losing heat through the tail and keeping the rat from overheating. Rats can’t sweat, so this is the only way to naturally keep cool. But when it’s cold, the blood vessels constrict and keep the blood in the body for maximum warmth. As for the balance, rats use their tails to keep from falling off during their wild climbs. They keep the tail straight behind them on narrow surfaces, and can use it to grip something to use as a bridge, like a small tree limb. The tail can even help the rat balance while standing, which is not something fun to see in your home.

Rats Can Live Without Their Tails

Speaking of tails, rats actually do not need them to survive and cannot regenerate a new one if they lose the tail. This is interesting, considering the tail is part of their vertebral column and is therefore a crucial part of their physical make-up. But a rat’s tail can be pulled off by a predator and the rat can escape with the distraction. Rats use their tails in self-defense by lashing out at or distracting predators, so this situation happens more often than we may think. But even though rats can survive without their tails, they don’t live for very long after losing them. The rat will get overheated very easily and have terrible balance while moving, since both of these problems arise from not having the tail that solves them. The rat may live a few days or even weeks without a tail, but they will not be easy days. Sometimes, rat offspring will be born without a tail as a result of health complications. These young rats don’t usually make it very long, since they need the tail to function and learn their basic skills. Rats may not need the tail to live, but it is still best to have the whole package for peak performance. 

A Rat’s Living Preference is Contradicting

If it were up to us, rats would not live anywhere near us or our homes. They can actually survive in just about any environment, as long as they can make some kind of shelter to keep them hidden. Wild rats have been found under trash, under wood, in trees, and in burrows. With their large numbers and need to constantly gnaw, rats can make any material into their new home. But they prefer to live near humans if possible, since we unintentionally provide them with food, water, and shelter in any season. They can steal materials from our homes as well, such as plastic and paper, to make their own little nests. But here is where the contradiction comes in: rats are completely anti-social in relation to humans! They will avoid us at all costs and prefer to make their nests away from any person or pet. This is why many rat infestations take place behind walls and in attics or basements, as these are often the most isolated places in a house. Rats are also nocturnal, which helps them to avoid us even more. They will do everything possible to avoid coming in contact with humans while preserving their own lives and nests, even when they have the audacity to be in our homes. 

Rats Can Transmit Rat-Bite Fever (RBF)

This sounds like a fictional illness from a dystopian novel, but it is unfortunately a real disease that can be fatal in some cases. If we happen to corner a rat, it will either bolt or bite, neither of which are ideal outcomes. But the bite can be more than painful in the moment, as it can be filled with the bacteria found in Rat-Bite Fever. This can lead to either Streptobacillary Rat-Bite Fever or Spirillary Rat-Bite Fever, depending on which one the rat was carrying. Contrary to the name, this disease does not have to be transmitted through a bite exclusively. Any food or drink contaminated by a rat and its droppings, as well as surfaces touched by rats, are at risk of having the bacteria from these diseases. Please throw out any contaminated food or drink, even if it does not have actual droppings in it. If there is a situation where someone does get bitten, however, the bite should immediately be washed out with soap and water. Then, seek medical attention right away and explain that it is a rat bite. Thankfully, a rat bite that is treated immediately with antibiotics is often cured and typically does not have lasting effects.  But any kind of symptoms that appear before or after the doctor visit should raise concern and be treated as soon as possible. These include headache, joint pain, fever, vomiting, and a rash full of small bumps. It is better to be safe than sorry when dealing with a rat bite, so please seek medical attention if you believe you have been bitten. 

Rats Box One Another

Unfortunately, the fun mental picture of two rats boxing in a ring while other rats eagerly squeak to cheer them on is not true. Rat boxing is just another example of mammals asserting dominance over one in their own species through physical combat. The winning rat of the two is deemed the alpha of that area, which is why only male rats box. It is exactly as you would imagine in a realistic rat-boxing scenario: two rats stand on their hind legs, using their tails for balance, and paw at each other until one wins. As for how exactly a rat wins this match, we do not know. There could be a rat rulebook that dictates the rules and winning shots (though we doubt it). Rats will also use their own body weight to assert dominance in random times, so they do not have to have a formal boxing match to show who’s boss. 

Rats Move Their Whiskers with Purpose

The little twitching of a rat’s nose is one of the few subjectively cute features of them, but it is not just a random function. Rats use their whiskers to navigate their surroundings and learn more about the area, which is useful in protecting themselves from hidden dangers and predators. They wiggle their facial muscles and whiskers to feel for any roadblocks or unexpected objects, as rats’ eyesight is not great. Plus, since they are nocturnal, it is likely dark and difficult to see anyway. Rats use their whiskers to detect if the objects are solid or can be moved, as well as what can be considered food for them. So if you happen to see a rat wiggling its whiskers like an animated animal character, it is just trying to figure out what is going on as well as every detail of their environment. 

Pest Control Services Can Handle Any Rodent Problem

As scary as some of these facts are – we are still shuddering at the idea of Rat-Bite Fever – rats are just another pest that can be completely taken care of by professional pest control. Our technicians are experienced in handling all kinds of rodent infestations, and our EPA-approved treatments solve the problem without the use of harmful chemicals in your home. Contact us for more information on our efficient services and how our team can prevent rats from eating your cheese and pretty much everything else in the house. 

Citations

Doering, L. (2014, May 21). 10 common rat behaviors. BeChewy. Available at https://be.chewy.com/10-common-rat-behaviors/ (Accessed on August 15, 2022).

Rat bite fever (RBF). (2019, January 18). CDC. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/rat-bite-fever/index.html 

Rats facts, information, and pictures. (n.d.). Terminix. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.terminix.com/rodents/rats/ 

Tikkanen, A. (n.d.). 8 Interesting Facts About Rats. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at https://www.britannica.com/list/8-interesting-facts-about-rats (Accessed on August 15, 2022).

Why do rats have tails?. (n.d.). North American Nature. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://northamericannature.com/why-do-rats-have-tails/