Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about rats?
If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…
It’s time to chat about rat facts.
Let’s dive right in…
Facts About Rats
1 – Rats are nocturnal, so they’re most active at night.
2 – A rat’s incisor teeth never stop growing, so the rats must chew on hard materials like wood or cardboard to wear them down.
3 – Female rats tend to be more aggressive than males and will fight other females for territory or food.
4 – Rat populations are usually controlled by their natural predators – cats, owls, coyotes, and foxes.
5 – The average lifespan of an adult rat is 1-3 years.
More Facts About Rats
6 – Rats are the most common type of rodent in the world.
7 – Rats can eat up to 20% of their body weight each day.
8 – Rats have been known to carry more than 100 types of bacteria, and some diseases that people get from rats include salmonella, leptospirosis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and bubonic plague.
9 – There are billions of rats in the world – that’s almost equal to the human population! Rats are the second most populous mammal on earth, with only humans being more populous.
10 – A group of rats is called a mischief or colony.
More Facts About Rats
11 – A female rat will give birth to about 12 pups per litter.
12 – Rats can jump up to 8 feet high.
13 – There are over 7 different species of rats in the world but only one type is found in North America – the brown rat (aka “Norway Rat”) only one type lives in North America (the black or brown rat).
14 – Rats are not as dirty as you might think. They have a natural tendency to stay away from humans, and will only come close if they’re hungry or looking for shelter. Some people keep rats as pets because they’re clean animals that don’t smell bad like a hamster might do.
15 – The earliest known domesticated rat was found in Egypt around 2000 BC – this would mean that people were keeping rats as pets at least 3200 years ago!
More Facts About Rats
16 – Rats are omnivores and will eat anything.
17 – Rats are very intelligent animals with an average IQ of between 80-100. They can be trained to do tricks like other pets, such as fetching objects or jumping through hoops.
18 – Rats are social creatures who live in colonies and need companionship in order to live a happy life.
19 – Rat droppings can sometimes contain parasites that cause diseases, so it’s important to keep your home clean for both the rat’s sake and yours!
20 – If you want to get rid of your rat problem yourself without having any contact with the animal, there are some things you can try – set traps around your house baited with food; put out poison bait in places where rodents will find it; seal off areas where rats might be living (such as under porches); hire a pest control professional who uses non-lethal methods; call animal services for help capturing wild rats using humane methods.
More Facts About Rats
21 – Rats are small, agile creatures that can fit through tight spaces.
22 – Rats are excellent climbers – they will climb trees if there’s food on the tree or even for fun!
23 – A single female rat can produce about 12 litters per year – each litter having around 10-12 babies!
24 – Rats have poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
25 – The average rat can run up to 3 miles per hour.
BONUS FACTS
The first recorded sighting of a live wild rodent was by Aristotle’s student Theophrastus in 320 BC.
There is no single color that all rats are – they come in more than 50 different colors and patterns.
Rats’ tails help them balance when they walk along narrow ledges and pipes.
