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Rats are one of the most successful creatures on the planet, partially because they have learned to live around humans. They are not fussy eaters and can thrive on just about anything they find. There are many species of wild rat, which look and act differently from domesticated rats. Rats have a temple dedicated to them in India... more »
Female rats ("does") first come into heat when they are 6 weeks old. Male rats ("bucks") can often be fertile as young as 6 weeks, too. Does will then come into heat about every 5 days unless they become pregnant. Rats make rat babies (pups) much in the same way that people do, only in a shorter amount of time. more »
Some people keep rats as pets, but if you have a rat infestation in your home, you don't want to keep them around. Rats can spread diseases, leave their droppings all over your house and eat your food. Rats also multiply fairly quickly, so if you don't deal with the problem in a timely manner, you could end up a house full of rats.... more »
You love pet rats and you love pet dogs, but you've also found keeping the two in the same household can be quite a challenge. Some dogs, like the aptly named rat terrier, are better at catching and killing rats than cats are. With a few strategic steps, you can keep pet rats safe from dogs and keep your household in pet-friendly harmony. more »
Rats make good pets for people willing to keep their cages clean and enjoy nocturnal animals. Many rat owners train their rats to sit on their shoulders or stay near them when they're out of their cages. They are highly intelligent, affectionate creatures that respond well to human interaction as long as their basic needs are met. more »
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A domesticated rat can make the perfect pet. Rats have gotten a bad rap, but they are actually very affectionate, clean and intelligent. Rats... more »
If you would like to avoid having to deal with a rat infestation, follow these steps. An ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure in this... more »
Pack rats engage in a behavior called compulsive hoarding, which is characterized by the inability to throw things away, leading to massive... more »
The black rat, "Rattus rattus," is also known by these names: blue rat, roof rat, and ship rat. Identifying a black rat is not as easy as the name... more »
Since rats are not pets that like to live alone, it is likely that your pet rats will eventually have babies. The average rat lives two to three... more »
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also called rats and share many characteristics with true rats.
Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size; rats are generally large muroid rodents, while mice are generally small muroid rodents. The muroid family is very large and complex, and the common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. Generally, when someone discovers a large muroid, its common name includes the term rat, while if it is small, the name includes the term mouse - scientifically, the terms are not confined to members of the Rattus and Mus genera. Compare the taxonomic classification of the Pack rat and Cotton mouse.
Species and description
The best-known rat species are the Black Rat (Rattus rattus) and the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1 lb) in the wild.
The term "rat" is also used in the names of other small mammals which are not true rats. Examples include the North American pack rats, a number of species loosely called kangaroo rats, and others. Rats such as the Bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis) are murine rodents related to true rats, but are not members of the genus Rattus. Male rats are called bucks, unmated females are called does, pregnant or parent females are called dams, and infants are called kittens or pups. A group of rats is either referred to as a pack or a mischief.
In Western countries, many people keep domesticated rats as pets. These are of the species R. norvegicus, which originated in the grasslands of China and spread to Europe and read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat
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