Rats - Physical Characteristics, Behavior, Reproduction, Diet, Species, Rats And Humans
mice genera world major
Rats are members of the order Rodentia, which also encompasses beavers, mice, hamsters, and porcupines. Two major families of rats and mice are recognized: the Sigmodontinae; the New World rats and mice, comprising 369 species in 73 genera, and the Murinae, the Old World rats and mice, comprising 408 species in 89 genera. The major taxonomic difference between the two subfamilies is the presence of a functional row of tubercles on the inner side of the upper molars in the Murinae.
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Rats are generally small animals. A typical rat, Rattus norvegicus or the Norway rat, is about 9 in (23 cm) from the nose to the base of the tail when fully grown and weighs about 2 lb (1.8 kg). One of the largest species, the southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat Phloeomys cumingi, has a head-body length of 19 in (48 cm) and a tail that ranges between 8-13 in (20-33 cm) long. Rats have brown, g…
Rats are social creatures, living in colonies that are housed in a complex network of underground burrows similar to the warrens dug by wild rabbits. To protect the colony from predators, the entrances to the burrows are well-hidden among rocks, the roots of shrubs, or under other thick vegetation. In temperate regions, most of the burrow is below the frost line, ranging from a few inches to sever…
The colony's size depends on two factors: the density of the population and the food supply. When the colony's population is low, such as at winter's end, the females will bear more young and thus the population increases steadily throughout the summer. As the population and density increase, the pregnancy rate declines accordingly. Similarly, the greater the food supply, the …
The rat's nutritional requirements are similar to those of humans, which makes it a useful subject for scientific experimentation. They have been known to carry off beef bones left by picnickers, eating not only the remaining meat but also the bone as well, for the calcium and phosphorus it provides. Rats will eat just about anything, including things that humans would consider far past bei…
The most widespread species of rats are Rattus norvegicus, the Norway or brown rat; Rattus rattus, the black, ship, roof, or alexandrian rat; R. exulans, the Polynesian rat; and Bandicota bengalensis, the lesser bandicoot rat. Both R. norvegicus and R. rattus are found around the world, and these are the two commensal species found in North American cities. They are longtime residents, firmly esta…
These four commensal species of rat together destroy about one-fifth of the world's food harvest each year. In the United States alone, the Norway and black rat damage or destroy a billion dollars worth of property each year, not counting the accidental fires that start when they chew through electrical insulation. These commensal rats succeed because they are generalists and opportunists. …
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about 1 year ago
thanks 4 the info