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rats have a reputation for being nasty pests that are hard to get rid of, but this one rodents are interesting animals that live very short lives.
The average lifespan of a rat is only 1-2 years, depending on living conditions. Wild rats live about a year. Domesticated or “posh” rats raised as pets tend to live up to two years.
Read on to learn some fun facts about rats. We will discover the oldest rat ever and examine the differences between wild rats and pet rats. You’ll also learn some rat care tips to prepare before bringing one home.
Fun facts about rats
Rats have some pretty impressive traits that might shock you. For example, they are strong swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for up to three minutes! In addition, some species of rats can tread water for days.
A rat is a smart animal, proven by finding his way through mazes, completing complex tasks and showing emotions.
Rats are also great climbers and jumpers. They can jump up to 1 meter high and climb trees, walls and poles.
Have you ever heard a rat laugh? They make a chirping sound a bit like laughing when excited, playing rough, or being tickled. However, this smiling animal has an ultrasonic beep that is sometimes difficult for humans to detect.
We may not pick up on some of the sounds rats make, but they can hear us. That’s because rats have better hearing than humans. For example, a rat can hear sound frequencies from 200 Hz to 90,000 Hz, while humans can hear from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
And rats don’t need air conditioning. Their body heat is regulated by blood vessels in the tail. When they get warm, blood flows to their hairless tails, releasing heat. Less blood flows to the tail when they get cold, keeping their bodies warm.
But alas, they don’t live long. Unless we’re talking about the oldest rat ever, of course. Can you guess how old he was?
The oldest rat ever
The oldest rat ever recorded was a pet named Rodney, who lived to be seven years and four months old, according to Guinness World Records. Rodney was born in January 1983 and died in May 1990. Rodney lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and had the same name as his owner Rodney Mitchell.
Rodney’s life was at least five times longer than most rats. We suspect his long life had a lot to do with the fact that Rodney was a pet and not a wild rat. If Rodney had lived in the wild, the chances are slim that he would have survived that long.
Beyond rats: the oldest rodent
Yet rats are far from the oldest rodents in the world. That title goes to naked mole rats. AN naked mole rat who was born in 1973 lived all the way to 2002. At the time of death, this oldest rodent of all time was 28 years old! Porcupines are another long-lived rodent. As a larger rodent species, they can achieve a longer lifespan. The oldest porcupine lived on record to 27 years old!
The lifespan of a wild rat
Wild rats only live about a year because their lives are quite hard. Rats are hunted by many animals, such as ties, coyotes, snakes, and weasels. They also have shorter lives because rats can transmit diseases to each other through bites, urine, feces and even by sharing their nests.
Because they survive by foraging for food, rats prefer to come out at night. This is because they cannot be seen as well by predators in the dark.
Wild rats eat a wide variety of plant foods. They look for vegetables and berries, and they like vegetables and seeds. Some rats also eat certain animals, such as freshwater fish and Mussels. However, rats are not very picky eaters. They eat almost any food they can find and sometimes waste as well.
And rats prefer many of the foods we love too! Researcher and founder of The Animal Behavior Society, Martin Schein, found that rats are especially fond of macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs.
Wild rats in the United States are mostly Noways rats, although roof rats and brown rats are also common. Brown rats are often referred to as “common rats,” although they can also go beyond times like street rats and sewer rats. They live in packs and the females can have a new litter of babies up to five times a year. Litter size is usually about seven puppies, but can be up to 14.
The Lifespan of Pet Rats
Rodney probably lived as long as he did because he was a fancy rat, but not because he had great style. Rats raised as pets are called fancy rats because they were bred to be gentle and tame. That doesn’t make them fancier than wild rats; it just means they are more suited to being around people.
Fantasy rats kept as pets live longer than wild rats because they are much safer from predators and health risks unless there is a cat in the house! In addition, a fancy rat rarely spreads disease or no more than other pets. The lifespan of pet rats is about two years, although they can live longer. As you just saw, Rodney lived to be over 7 years old!
However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that families take precautions against illness when bringing a rat home as a pet. The CDC suggests washing hands regularly after handling, feeding, or being around a rat. They also recommend that people don’t eat or drink near a rat or their cage, and it’s best to keep this pet away from your face. These good habits can help you and your rat live safely together for many happy months or even years.
IS A RAT THE RIGHT PET FOR YOU?
If you are considering raising a pet rat, there are some essential things to consider first.
Rats get most of their sleep during the day. So think about where you could keep their cage in your house where it would be quiet and peaceful during the day.
You want to keep other animals in your house away from your pet rat. When your little rodent buddy feels threatened by a curious cat or dog, it can develop long-term health problems from constant stress.
Did you know that a rat’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lives? So make sure your rat has plenty of things to chew on in his cage to keep his teeth from getting too long. Also keep in mind t
ha
t if a rat is allowed to roam free in the house, it will likely chew on anything it can find, including power cords.
Rats love to dig and hollow. You will often need to change the nesting material in their cages and make sure there is plenty of it.
When choosing a rat as a pet, make sure you choose one from a reputable breeder. Before deciding where to find the best pet options, do some research.
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