Snakes and rats have one of nature’s most well-known predator-prey relationships. If you’ve ever seen a snake in the wild or kept one as a pet, you know that rats are a major part of their diet. From small garden snakes to massive pythons, many snake species rely on rats as a primary food source. … Read more
Rats have a reputation for eating just about anything they can get their teeth on, from food scraps to cardboard boxes. But one of the stranger things people notice is that rats will sometimes chew on and eat bars of soap. If you’ve ever found gnaw marks on your soap or discovered a partially eaten … Read more
You’ve probably never seen a rat during the day unless you live in a city with a serious infestation problem. But turn on a light in your kitchen at midnight, and there’s a good chance you might spot one scurrying across the floor. Rats seem to avoid the daylight hours completely and only come out … Read more
If you’ve ever seen a rat and a mouse side by side, you’ve probably noticed they look really similar. They both have furry bodies, long tails, small ears, and tiny feet. Besides the obvious size difference, they could almost be the same animal. This similarity makes it confusing when you’re trying to figure out which … Read more
When you think about city wildlife, rats and pigeons probably come to mind as two animals that seem to coexist everywhere. They both hang around dumpsters, parks, and alleys, often looking for the same food scraps. Most of the time they ignore each other, but every once in a while, you might see something shocking: … Read more
You’ve lived in your house for years without any problems, and then one day you see a rat running across your kitchen floor. Or maybe you start hearing scratching sounds in your walls that weren’t there before. It feels like rats just appeared out of nowhere, and you can’t figure out why. So why do … Read more
Most people think of rats as pests that run away when you turn on the lights. And that’s usually true. Rats typically avoid humans and would rather scurry into the nearest hiding spot than stick around for a confrontation. But every once in a while, you hear stories about rats actually attacking people, and it … Read more
If you’ve ever owned pet rats or known someone who has, you’ve probably heard the sad reality. Rats get tumors at an alarming rate, and they often develop them when they’re still relatively young. It seems like almost every rat owner has a story about dealing with tumors in their pets. So why do rats … Read more
Walk into almost any research laboratory studying medicine, psychology, or biology, and you’ll probably find rats. They’re everywhere in scientific research, from cancer studies to behavioral experiments. You’ve probably seen news about rat studies testing new drugs or treatments. But why do scientists use rats for experiments instead of other animals? Scientists use rats for … Read more
You’re looking at your security camera footage or watching your pet rats, and you notice something strange. The rats are moving in a single-file line, each one following directly behind the other like a tiny train. It looks coordinated and purposeful, almost like they’re marching. So why do rats form a line and follow each … Read more