Hearing the word “rat”, many people have an image of a dangerous pest and the culprit of large-scale epidemics. and infections. In addition, animals are capable of causing enormous damage to a household, spoiling food, wooden buildings and electrical wiring. However, in addition to its notoriety, the rodent has amazing abilities and qualities. Many facts about rats are sometimes simply amazing. In addition, one should not underestimate the medical benefits of animals for humans. Here are some of the most interesting facts about rats.
When did the rats appear?
According to scientists, rats are the oldest mammals - they appeared much earlier than humans (the time difference is about 48 million years). During this time, the number of rodents almost doubled the number of inhabitants of the planet.
There is even an assumption that it was these rodents that caused the extinction of dinosaurs. Mammals are accused of being the destroyers of the eggs of giant animals. And eggs, as you know, are one of the most favorite delicacies of rodents.
Facts about rats never cease to amaze. These animals are called the intellectuals of the animal world. The smartest creatures amaze with their ingenuity, resourcefulness and organization. Rats are kept in a laboratory to test drugs for humans, which suggests great similarities in the body. In China and India, rats were considered saints.
Rodents are cannibals
Rats and mice eating each other are not fiction. This is practiced in every family of rodents. The female eats weak cubs, leaving only strong offspring alive. If a male gets into the nest, he calmly eats his own.
Interesting!
There was one effective method in the naval army. 5 rats were thrown into a metal barrel. They were starving. They began to eat each other, the strongest survived. But this was already a cannibal beast, which, when released, hunted for its relatives.
Rats eat each other when there is a lack of food, or if a stranger wanders into the pack. In other situations, animals show humanity to each other, even trying to take a wounded relative with them. Eating is common, but not natural.
Interesting!
An eyewitness described the story on the forum. He hit me in the barn and left me to die. He returned a few hours later and saw an interesting picture - several rats were trying to drag her away with them.
Clairvoyants
Everyone reads facts about rats with great interest; many people know about the sixth sense of these animals. Rats are the first to leave a ship before it dies, regardless of the cause of the collapse - a natural disaster, shelling. In wartime, during the bombing period, people hid where the rodents fled.
The animals leave the house together before a huge fire and never return to their previous places. Even after several years, when the smell of burning is no longer audible.
Rats do not live at testing grounds where various weapons are tested. During the war, soldiers noticed strange behavior of rodents before shelling. The day before, everyone disappeared somewhere in an unknown direction.
Interesting!
In the last century, France experienced a massive migration of rats. A huge clothing market was closing and moving to a new location. The rodents gathered together in a colony and left. And not just in an unknown direction, but precisely to where a place has been prepared for a new market.
Amazing moments from the life of rodents
Interesting facts about rats are regularly published in the press around the world. An experiment was carried out. Several from the same family were placed in a glass container. One of them was placed in another box side by side. They threw food at her, but when the animal began to eat, her other relatives were shocked. The animal saw all this suffering through the glass. As a result, 90% of individuals chose their own death and refused to eat.
A lot of interesting:
- From whom rats originated, there are many versions. Some believe that these are space aliens transmitting signals to distant worlds. The fact confirms that animals arose 48 million years earlier than humans. But they could have happened in the process of evolution.
- The joints of rats have the same structure as human ones, with an equal number of bones.
- or pasyuki develop speeds of up to 10 km per hour, jump in a calm state up to 80 cm in height, when aggressive - up to 200 cm in height and length. Pasyuk can swim on water for 3 days. The recorded record is a distance of 30 km. If there is no way to get to land, he will drown.
- Rats squeak in the ultrasonic range, remaining invisible to predators. They communicate with each other, warn about danger, about finding food.
- The rat is the only mammal that can laugh. Scientists recorded the animal's smile while showing a funny video. It has been established that these rodents dream.
- During a mass extinction event, rats are not in danger of becoming extinct. The number is regulated by nature due to the increase in rat pups in one litter. A pair of rats can reproduce about 2 thousand rat pups in a year, creating their own numerous colony with a leader and several dominant females.
- There is a version that rats caused the extinction of dinosaurs. They regularly sucked out the eggs, preventing the young from developing. The number of rats in the world is such that there are 2 rodents per person. In those days the colonies were just as numerous.
- In a year, one individual is capable of devouring 12 kg of various food, the damage from spoilage of supplies and containers is several times greater.
You can endlessly cite interesting facts from the life of rats. For these reasons, these animals are preferred to dogs, cats, and kept as pets. Translated from Chinese, the word “rat” means happiness.
On April 4, International Rat Day was celebrated around the world, the main goal of which is to unite rat lovers around the world. After all, a domestic rat is a sociable, friendly, gentle, curious and very smart animal that can bring joy to every home. On this day, someone finds time to meet with rat-loving friends, someone gives their pet a portion of tasty treats, and we have collected interesting photo facts about this funny animal for our readers.
Gray rats. Rats appeared on Earth 48 million years earlier than humans.
Population of rats. On average, there are 2 rats for every inhabitant of the planet.
No place in the church. In Europe, on the orders of one of the bishops, rats were excommunicated from the church.
Resemblance to a person. The joints of rats and humans are designed in the same way, and the bones have an equal number of parts.
Survival champions. A rat can swim for 3 days in a row and will drown if it does not find a way to get out.
Abilities of gray rats. Gray rats are capable of moving at a speed of 10 km/h, jumping up to a height of up to 80 cm, and in an aggressive state - up to 2 meters.
House rat. A rat's heart beats 500 times per minute.
Assistants in ophthalmology. The finest hairs covering the rat's tail are used in ophthalmology as suture material during operations.
Rats lead an active lifestyle. During the day, rats are able to cover from 10 to 50 km by climbing ropes, pipes, and trees.
Nibbler. Rats' teeth grow throughout their lives, so they are always gnawing on something to wear them down.
Rodents. Rats can easily chew through hard substances.
Communication style. Rats communicate with each other without attracting the attention of predators by making whistling sounds with their throats.
The richest vocabulary of screams. At a moment of stress, rodents emit a sound equivalent in volume to a working pneumatic jackhammer, but due to the fact that it has an ultra-high frequency and a person cannot hear it.
Pronounced sense of smell. It only takes a rat 50 milliseconds to figure out where the smell is coming from.
Just cuties.
Prozhorkins. A rat consumes about 12 kg of food per year.
Smart creation. Rats are able to distinguish poisoned food from normal food.
Dehydrated body. A rat can live without water longer than a camel.
Laboratory experiment. Rats can die from mental shock or prolonged stress.
Smiling rat. The rat is the only mammal other than humans that can laugh.
Sleeping miracle.
On your property.
Egg lovers. Scientists have put forward a version that rats massively sucked out the contents of dinosaur eggs, thereby stopping the continuation of their lineage.
Sacred animals. In a Hindu temple, rats are revered as sacred animals and are sung with their milk.
Continuation of the family. The gestation period of female rats is three weeks, and immediately after giving birth they are ready to conceive again. In 12 weeks, one rat can give birth to 100 babies.
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For this reason, it is vital for them to constantly chew on something. If you do not allow rodents to grind down their fangs, they can grow up to 12 centimeters, which will result in the death of the animal. Therefore, they gnaw on almost everything: it will not be difficult for them to gnaw a hole, for example, in a concrete wall or a steel water pipe. Here is a list of materials that cannot resist toothy pests:
- Concrete;
- Metal (except iron, as well as especially durable metals);
- Tree;
- Stone;
- Plastic and plastic.
The only material that in its natural form is too tough for our little animals is glass.
Fact 2: Abstract thinking is inherent
Until recently, it was believed that man is the only creature on the planet capable of abstract thinking. Until scientists from Oxford University conducted a series of experiments, they were able to prove that rats are not only among the top 10 smartest creatures, but also have the ability to create mental images, as well as build cause-and-effect relationships. In other words, animals can independently formulate rules of behavior and follow them.
Interestingly, rats can adapt to poisons. If a rodent once ate poisoned bait, but remained alive, it will not touch such poison a second time. If at least one individual survives from the litter of animals that have tried bait with poison, its descendants will have immunity to this poison. Therefore, the poisons that were used to poison rodents just a hundred years ago are practically harmless to modern rats.
Phenomenal memory is another important feature of these animals. Once a rat has walked even a difficult and winding route, it will remember it forever. As a result, they never get lost, easily finding a way out of any maze.
Fact 3: They talk to each other
Moreover, their vocabulary is very diverse. They communicate with each other through various sounds, each of which has its own meaning. That is why in the rat community the connection between individuals is so well established: they communicate, negotiate, share impressions, almost like people. But such conversations are inaccessible to human ears, since the frequency range of these sounds is different from ours.
What else gray pests have in common with people is the fear of tickling. Like us, rodents have sensitive points on their bodies, when you tickle them you can hear a real rat laugh.
Fact 4: One of the cleanest animals in the world
It’s hard to believe, but even a cat can envy a rat’s cleanliness. The animals wash themselves for several hours a day, calming down only when their gray fur becomes perfectly clean. They are very fond of water activities, swim quickly, and can dive for a long time, hunting for prey. If necessary, they can stay in the water for more than three days, which indicates the incredible endurance of these animals. Here are some more amazing things that animals can do:
- Fit no more than a five-kopeck coin into the holes;
- Climb a vertical brick wall, climb trees, ropes and pipes;
- Going without water longer than any mammal on the planet;
- In case of danger, jump up to two meters in height.
Fact 5: Can attack humans
But he does this only in a critical situation: either to protect himself and his offspring, or in case of severe famine. Here the saying about “a rat driven into a corner” comes to mind. In an aggressive state, she is able to jump up to a person’s face, clawing him hard. The jaws of this beast are so powerful that they are quite capable of cutting through flesh to the bone.
Important: If you are bitten by a rat, you do not need to try to stop the bleeding immediately. You should wait until bacteria that might be in the rodent's saliva comes out with the blood.
The first thing to do when bitten is:
- Wash the wound;
- Treat the bite site with an antiseptic, lubricate it with brilliant green or iodine;
- Apply antibacterial ointment to the wound and apply a bandage.
Remember that these animals are carriers of rabies. So you need to visit a doctor as soon as possible for a check-up.
A fight with an aggressive rat can be quite painful, even for an adult man. Although stories of people being bitten to death are more likely to belong to the realm of folklore, it would be wiser to retreat. An animal can indeed bite to death, but only the victim is immobilized or helpless (a paralyzed patient, a small child), and the animal is very hungry.
Fact 6: Not only harm, but also benefit
Despite the fact that rats have continued to cause many problems for people for many centuries, we have a lot to say “thank you” to the gray animals for. After all, most medications are tested on them, and the finest fibers of rat tails are used in ophthalmological operations.
Scientists recently discovered that rats can accurately detect the presence of tuberculosis bacteria by the smell of their saliva. And if one laboratory test takes about four days, then a trained animal can cope with more than a hundred samples within half an hour.
Interestingly, in Africa they found practical use for the talents of rodents and got them to work... as sappers. Gambian pouched rats undergo special training, after which they are taken to the field. Having discovered another mine, the animal begins to dig. Since the rat's weight is small, no explosion occurs, and the rodent receives a well-deserved treat.
Laboratory rats, bred by scientists over many years of research, are unpretentious and not at all aggressive. The same applies to decorative individuals, which often become beloved pets, much smarter than a cat and more loyal than a dog. Animals eat almost everything, but their favorite delicacies are:
- Bran, seeds, nuts;
- Vegetables, berries, fruits;
- Crackers, cookies, bread;
- Eggs, meat, seafood.
They are friendly to people, easy to tame, amenable to training, and require minimal care. Therefore, if you are thinking about having a four-legged friend in your home, be sure to consider this option.
Interesting facts about rats will affect various aspects of the life of these rodents. Rats have very high intelligence and can survive in the most extreme conditions. But first things first.
So, here are the most interesting facts about rats.
- The rat genus includes at least 64 species.
- Rats always live in groups, not alone.
- If necessary, a rat can cover up to 50 km in a day.
- An interesting fact is that thanks to their high intelligence, these rodents are perfectly trainable.
- The body length of rats ranges from 8 to 30 cm. The length of the tail is equal to or greater than the length of the body.
- Over the course of a year, a rat eats 10-12 kg of food.
- Rats communicate with their relatives using ultrasound.
- On average, a rat lives about two years.
- Did you know that rats are so strong that they can chew through concrete and iron structures?
- In certain countries, newly born rats are considered a real delicacy.
- The ability to adapt to harsh living conditions allows rodents to exist even at abandoned scientific stations in.
- An interesting fact is that, according to rough estimates, there are twice as many rats on the planet as there are people.
- Rats have an incredibly strong sense of smell. It allows them to smell even a tiny amount of poison in food.
- Although rats can survive in extreme conditions, they can die from stress.
- Rats, like people, can laugh and are afraid of tickling.
- In the wild, rats live in colonies that can reach a population of 2,000 individuals. It’s scary to even imagine such a rat army.
- According to scientific research, rodents see dreams just like us.
- Scientists still cannot understand how rats sense potential danger, prompting them to leave en masse any place or territory.
- Rodents have excellent memory. Experiments showed that even blindfolded, they easily found a way out of the labyrinths they knew.
- In stressful situations, rodents can jump up to 2 m!
- An interesting fact is that rats can go without water longer than.
- Rats never overeat, knowing a sense of proportion. It turns out that for many people they can serve as a good example.
- In a year, a female can give birth to up to hundreds of cubs.
- Swamp frogs have completely disappeared due to the fact that they were simply eaten by rats.
- A rat pack can attack prey that is tens of times larger and stronger than rodents, for example, a dog or small pet.
- Rats are excellent swimmers and can also dive underwater.
- A rat's heart beats at a rate of 300-500 beats per minute.
These were the most interesting facts about rats. If you liked this article, share it on social networks. If you love at all
