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This article is about the genus Rattus. For pet rats, see Fancy rat. For other u
ses, see Rat (disambiguation).
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Rats
Temporal range: Early Pleistocene
Recent
Rattus norvegicus 1.jpg
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily:
Muroidea
Family:
Muridae
Subfamily:
Murinae
Genus: Rattus
Fischer de Waldheim, 1803
Species
64 species
Synonyms
Stenomys Thomas, 1910
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 huma
ns are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many
members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and sh
are many characteristics with true rats.
Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Generally, when someon
e discovers a large muroid rodent, its common name includes the term rat, while
if it is smaller, the name includes the term mouse. The muroid family is broad a
nd complex, and the common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. S
cientifically, the terms are not confined to members of the Rattus and Mus gener
a, for example, the pack rat and cotton mouse.
Contents
1 Species and description
2 Pets
3 Subjects for scientific research
3.1 General intelligence[improper synthesis?]
3.2 Social intelligence[improper synthesis?]
4 Food
5 Medicine
6 Odor detection
7 Rats as pests
8 Rats as invasive species
9 Rat-free areas
10 Culture
10.1 Asian cultures
10.2 European cultures
10.2.1 Terminology
10.3 Fiction
10.3.1 The Pied Piper
11 Taxonomy of Rattus
11.1 Species
12 See also

13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links
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 r
ats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are
their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild.[citation
needed]
The term "rat" is also used in the names of other small mammals which are not tr
ue rats. Examples include the North American pack rats, a number of species loos
ely 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, preg
nant 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.[citation needed]
A rat in a city street
The common species are opportunistic survivors and often live with and near huma
ns; therefore, they are known as commensals. They may cause substantial food los
ses, especially in developing countries.[1] However, the widely distributed and
problematic commensal species of rats are a minority in this diverse genus. Many
species of rats are island endemics and some have become endangered due to habi
tat loss or competition with the brown, black or Polynesian rat.[citation needed
]
Wild rodents, including rats, can carry many different zoonotic pathogens, such
as Leptospira, Toxoplasma gondii, and Campylobacter.[2] The Black Death is tradi
tionally believed to have been caused by the micro-organism Yersinia pestis, car
ried by the tropical rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) which preyed on black rats li
ving in European cities during the epidemic outbreaks of the Middle Ages; these
rats were used as transport hosts. Other zoonotic diseases linked to pest rodent
s include classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.[citation needed]
A rat in a suburb of Vancouver
The average lifespan of any given rat depends on which species is being discusse
d, but many only live about a year due to predation.[citation needed]
The black and brown rats diverged from other Old World rats during the beginning
of the Pleistocene in the forests of Asia.[citation needed]
Pets
Main article: Fancy rat
A domesticated rat
Specially bred rats have been kept as pets at least since the late 19th century.
Pet rats are typically variants of the species brown rat, but black rats and gi
ant pouched rats are also known to be kept. Pet rats behave differently from the
ir wild counterparts depending on how many generations they have been kept as pe
ts.[3] Pet rats do not pose any more of a health risk than pets such as cats or
dogs.[4] Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected
behaviors.
Subjects for scientific research
Main article: Laboratory rat
A laboratory rat strain, known as a Zucker rat, is bred to be genetically prone
to diabetes, the same metabolic disorder found among humans.
In 1895, Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts (United States) establishe

d a population of domestic albino brown rats to study the effects of diet and fo
r other physiological studies. Over the years, rats have been used in many exper
imental studies, which have added to our understanding of genetics, diseases, th
e effects of drugs, and other topics that have provided a great benefit for the
health and well-being of humankind. Laboratory rats have also proved valuable in
psychological studies of learning and other mental processes (Barnett, 2002), a
s well as to understand group behavior and overcrowding (with the work of John B
. Calhoun on behavioral sink). A 2007 study found rats to possess metacognition,
a mental ability previously only documented in humans and some primates.[5][6]
Domestic rats differ from wild rats in many ways. They are calmer and less likel
y to bite; they can tolerate greater crowding; they breed earlier and produce mo
re offspring; and their brains, livers, kidneys, adrenal glands, and hearts are
smaller (Barnett 2002).
Brown rats are often used as model organisms for scientific research. Since the
publication of the rat genome sequence,[7] and other advances, such as the creat
ion of a rat SNP chip, and the production of knockout rats, the laboratory rat h
as become a useful genetic tool, although not as popular as mice. When it comes
to conducting tests related to intelligence, learning, and drug abuse, rats are
a popular choice due to their high intelligence, ingenuity, aggressiveness, and
adaptability. Their psychology, in many ways, seems to be similar to humans. Ent
irely new breeds or "lines" of brown rats, such as the Wistar rat, have been bre
d for use in laboratories. Much of the genome of Rattus norvegicus has been sequ
enced.[8]