Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus Rattus. Other rat genera include Neotoma (pack rats), Bandicota (bandicoot rats) and Dipodomys (kangaroo rats). Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size.

Jun 5, 2024 · When handled gently and cared for properly, rats will be comfortable interacting with you and won’t be aggressive; however, they can bite if they’re scared, traumatized, or threatened. Fancy rats are domesticated brown rats that are kept as pets.

May 13, 2022 · Rats are one of the most controversial animals in the world. While some people think of them as adorable pets, others see them as nothing more than destructive vermin. But no matter your stance on rats, there’s no denying that they’re pretty exciting creatures.

May 27, 2024 · The rat — named the Bosavi woolly rat — lives in a volcano crater that had previously been lightly explored and with its tail included measures over 30 inches long. That makes it one of the largest rats in the world .

Apr 3, 2025 · rat, (genus Rattus), the term generally and indiscriminately applied to numerous members of several rodent families having bodies longer than about 12 cm, or 5 inches. (Smaller thin-tailed rodents are just as often indiscriminately referred to as mice.)

Aug 12, 2024 · Like mice, rats are nocturnal and have very poor eyesight but have very strong senses of smell, taste, and hearing. Compared to mice, rats are much larger, have coarser fur, and have proportionately larger heads and feet. The most common rat species in the United States are the Norway rat and the roof rat.

Rattus is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus. The best-known Rattus species are the black rat (R. rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats and originated in Asia.

The best known rats are the black rat (Rattus rattus), and the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). These two are known as Old World rats. The group has its origins in Asia. Usually rats are bigger than mice. Rats are large muroid rodents, mice are small ones. The muroid family is …

Rats are notorious stowaways that migrated around the world along with humans; today they live wherever Homo sapiens are found, on every continent except Antarctica.

Everything you should know about the Rat. The Rat is a mid-size rodent, which is considered a common pest, though some species are kept as pets.