Rats have always been a source of fear for humans. Yet, despite being considered vermin, rats are truly fascinating creatures with fascinating behaviors and characteristics.
Here are a few shocking facts about rats that will surely surprise you! Please be warned, some of these facts can be disturbing.
1. They can walk on water
Rats have earned themselves a bad rap due to their ability to spread diseases like Hantavirus and Leptospirosis. But rats can also be very intelligent creatures – for instance using their long tails as rudders they are able to navigate water effectively; some species can swim over one mile! Interestingly enough, sewer rats can survive being flushed down toilets without drowning, they even possess ticklish belly buttons!
Rats have great climbing capabilities, including brick and cement walls, thanks to their sharp clawed feet. Not only can they jump over two feet high but their incredible memories allow them to remember where they have visited and recall the route taken to get there.
One of the most striking facts about rats is that they don’t sweat or pant to regulate their body temperature; rather, they use blood vessels in their long tails to expand and contract at will in order to achieve balance in temperature regulation. Furthermore, rats can detect food scents up to three miles away!
Rats may get a bad rap, but they play an essential role in human survival. Extremely versatile creatures that thrive in any environment imaginable, rats are excellent hunters and gatherers that play a critical part of our ecosystem. Furthermore, their intelligence allows them to understand human speech! Furthermore, they’ve even been known to survive nuclear explosions with many living in Enewetak Atoll in South Pacific having baffled scientists by outliving nuclear tests performed there during 1950s nuclear tests! Popular culture even features rats such as in films Ratatouille and Stuart Little as well as being featured mascot of Chuck E. Cheese!
2. They can climb walls
Rats are excellent climbers, which allows them to migrate, breed, and survive virtually everywhere on Earth. Their climbing prowess enables them to scale walls, trees and drainpipes easily while their long claws allow for gripping surfaces like walls or surfaces without gripping ledges – as well as using their tail as an additional fifth limb – They even use windows as climbing platforms at night when visibility is poorer.
Rats have an extraordinary sense of smell that helps them locate food and other resources. Additionally, their nose can detect diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV; additionally they are adept at sniffing out landmines since their senses detect chemicals used to create them.
Rats differ from most mammals in that they do not burp or vomit, as their muscles lack the strength needed to open the barrier between their esophagus and stomach. Rats tend to suffer from food neophobia when trying new foods; when trying something new they might sample small portions before increasing consumption gradually. When suffering indigestion they can perform pica, which involves eating non-food items to aid digestion; typically clay.
Another fascinating fact about rats is their ability to smile. According to studies, happy rats emit a high-pitched chirping sound similar to human laughter when content. Ticklish rats especially enjoy being petted on the back and belly; baby rats play fight until about 28-30 days old but usually stop around that age.
3. They can fit through a hole the size of a coin
Rats have evolved with flexible bones and body proportions that enable them to squeeze through tight spaces like umbrellas – this enables them to do the best job they can in escaping trouble, quickly. When faced with an opening in which their heads can fit through, rats use whiskers as a gauge as to whether their whole bodies can also pass.
Rats possess excellent squeezing capabilities, with each tooth growing five inches every year requiring them to chew constantly in order to wear down. Their teeth can gnaw through wood, brick walls and even aluminium sheets.
Strong front teeth help children make better judgment calls about what foods to eat or avoid, with picky eaters generally only eating those they know will not make them sick, and when trying new food they often only try small quantities at once and may perform pica, which involves chewing non-food objects to help their stomach settle – usually clay is their go-to remedy for any digestive discomforts they are experiencing.
Rats live in tight communities, and can often be found grooming each other or playing hide and seek together. Their strong bonds make them popular pets; this is evidenced in their ability to remember names; a rat can identify its cage owner even after moving between rooms, and many pet rats develop close bonds with their owners, often lasting many years.
4. They can make sounds like laughter
Rats love to play, and scientists have discovered that when tickled, they emit ultrasonic chirps similar to laughter emitted when tickle tickled, emitting ultrasonic soundwaves similar to laughter. Furthermore, an area in their brains responsible for playful behavior.
Researchers discovered the rat’s chirps originate in an area called the lateral column of periaqueductal gray, which produces their characteristic sounds. Researchers wanted to see if they could prompt these sounds through tickling the rats by poking at their bellies and backs with pins. When this approach didn’t work, scientists recorded these sounds via ultrasound machine instead and were amazed to hear chirps similar to human laughter; realizing they had discovered laughter among rats!
Researchers were also able to demonstrate that rats’ happiness stemmed from playing together. When playing hide and seek, rats huddled closely together until one rat found all his/her lost friends; then they shared food, with the greatest share going to one who was most hungry.
Although it might sound unbelievable, rats can actually swim. Indeed, some species rival Michael Phelps in terms of swimming prowess: some species can even make swimming up to three days and hold their breath up to three minutes at a time! Rats have an extremely keen sense of smell which allows them to detect diseases affecting humans such as tuberculosis or HIV; they can even detect landmines! One rat even saved its owner and her family by barking loudly at the front door, leading them safely away.
5. They can talk
Rats can be fascinating pets, yet also rank among the world’s scariest creatures. One glimpse of a beady-eyed rat scampering across your basement floor or dashing along a city sidewalk will send chills up your spine; but these weird facts about rats might surprise you!
1. Scientists have observed that rats can produce sounds that resemble laughter. Scientists have discovered that when tickled, rats produce high-pitched chirping noises which sound similar to human laughter – creating social joy for rats who also respond when teased by humans by laughing or giggling when teased by other species.
2. Rats have teeth that continue to erupt throughout their lives, prompting them to chew constantly in order to wear down their enamel and maintain sharp edges. But rats also use chewing as a way of marking territory and communicating with other members of their species; their sharp upper and lower teeth rub against each other when chewing, providing an added self-sharpening benefit.
3. Rats can easily fit through holes the size of a coin. Rats possess collapsible skeletons which allow them to fold their ribs down like umbrellas, making any hole big enough for their head also large enough for their entire bodies.
4. Rats are known to be kind-hearted creatures who will help their fellow rats when in need. If a sick or injured rat needs caretaking services, another rat may offer it without being asked – a practice known as altruism and part of rat culture.