Changes
Rat
,A '''rat''' is a medium-sized [[rodent]] found on all inhabited [[continent]]s. They live on garbage in slums and are also often known to carry disease. The [[bubonic plague]] which killed one third the population of Europe is attributed to rats which carried plague-infected
fleas living in their fur. The [[taxonomy|genus]] ''Rattus'' includes over 50 species.
Rats are capable of surviving in a wide range of different environments ranging from grasslands, forests, urban settlements, ships, and the unforgiving [[arctic]]. They tend to thrive around [[human beings]].
Rats can survive on an extremely diverse diet, including [[seed]]s, [[fruit]]s, small [[bird]]s and [[mammal]]s, scraps and even garbage.
==PetsDomesticated rats==
Rats can be kept as pets, although it is unwise for a child to try to tame a wild rat found in a slum. Like gerbils and hamsters, they must be raised in a sterile environment before brought into your home, lest an accidental bite infect you with a deadly disease.
They are usually kept in a [[cage]] or a [[terrarium]], sometimes with other rats or [[mice]]. Domestic rats are curious, clean, and gentle creatures with a lifespan of approximately three years.
[[category:Rodents]]
