How Far Can Rats Swim?
WouterResearchers have been investigating how far can rats swim by tracking them. The distance a rat can cover depends on temperature. In the Falkland Islands, the sea surface temperature can be as low as 2 degC in winter and as high as 10degC in summer. However, even at these temperatures, rats can only swim for about 10 minutes. They can also swim only between islands that are less than 250 meters apart. In spite of the limited distances, these rats are better swimmers than laboratory rats.
Rats have a special fur coat that repels water and insulates them when they are swimming in very cold water. In addition to being able to stay underwater for a longer period of time, they can also hold their breath for up to three minutes. However, not all rats can swim. Some may be scared of water, and will only swim when forced or when they need to find food. In case of a sudden accident, a rat can drown if it has too much water in its lungs.
A rat in New Zealand once swam more than a mile across the ocean. Scientists have found that rats often migrate in this manner. Some have even migrated as far as the Volga River in Russia. In addition to swimming through water, rats can climb walls and even climb toilet seats. Depending on their size, rats can swim for about 30 minutes at a time.
