You are probably aware that rats can live in just about any environment. It does not matter if you are out living on a farm or in the most modern city in the world, there are rats in just about any place you can go on the planet. These animals are even found in some of the coldest places on earth, like in Siberia, and in some of the hottest, like along the equator. They are adaptable creatures to say the least.
While most of know of the rat, the reality is that there are all kinds of species of rats. There are 56 different kinds in all with the two most common being the brown and the black rats. These two species are known as the “Old World Rat” because their roots are traced back to ancient Asia.
To most of us, when we see a rat they look like they are five feet long, but that is not reality. Because of their large teeth, the perception about these creatures can be far from reality indeed.
The fact is that there are some rats that can get quite large, but they are not usually found in the United States. The biggest of these rats is the Gambian pouched rat. It can get as big as three feet in length, which seems ridiculously large to say the least. However, these rats are found in Africa for the most part.
The most common kinds of rats that are found in North America run about 9-13 inches long. That is body length excluded the tail, which can be an additional 9-11 inches. In all, a rat with tail can extend as far as two feet in length. That may not be the five feet that many think a rat looks like when they come upon it at 10 o’clock at night in their kitchen, but it is still large enough to want out of the house and to want it out right away.
The female species of rats rarely grows to different sizes than the males. You will find that many are of equal size to that of male rats.
The large size can mean that a rat can weigh as much as a couple of pounds. The Gambian pouch rat will weigh as much as four pounds, but most weigh only about 1.5 to 2 pounds. That is still a rather heavy amount of weight for a rodent, and is part of the reason why so many find these creatures to be quite intimidating at times.
A rat can be quite scary with those beady eyes and sharp teeth, but add the size and weight and this can really make it a great deal more intimidating.
Read more: Rat Control
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, Rat Trapping
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