Difference between revisions of "Rat"
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| − | A '''rat''' is a medium-sized [[rodent]] found on all [[continent]]s | + | A '''rat''' is a medium-sized [[rodent]] found on all inhabited [[continent]]s. In the wild, rats are often considered to be [[pest]]s. They may be associated with the transmission of disease. Infected fleas living in the fur of rats are supposed to have spread [[bubonic plague]]. The [[taxonomy|genus]] ''Rattus'' includes over 50 species. |
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
Revision as of 14:41, November 25, 2008
A rat is a medium-sized rodent found on all inhabited continents. In the wild, rats are often considered to be pests. They may be associated with the transmission of disease. Infected fleas living in the fur of rats are supposed to have spread bubonic plague. The genus Rattus includes over 50 species.
Habitat
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.
Diet
Rats can survive on an extremely diverse diet, including seeds, fruits, small birds and mammals, scraps and even garbage.
Pets
Rats can make good pets. 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.
