How Heavy Can a Rat Get?
WouterA rat’s weight and size vary greatly depending on the species and the environment. For example, a Bosavi woolly rat can grow to be 32 inches long, weighing approximately 13.5 pounds. A typical house rat, however, will only reach about 20 inches long and weigh 12 ounces. Scientific studies show that the average rat is getting larger, but it will never become a giant.
Male rats tend to grow bigger and heavier than female rats. However, these differences don’t mean that male rats are larger than females. A baby rat may grow to be twice as large as its original size, if fed well and properly. Rats also tend to be larger than mice, and their size is generally determined by their species.
A fully grown male Fancy Rat can grow to over 20 inches long and 50 centimeters in length. A rat’s teeth can be a good indicator of age. Although all rats have a slight yellow tinge, older rats have more yellow teeth. In addition, their teeth can sometimes turn orange.
A rat’s front teeth grow 11 to 14 centimeters every year. The GB pre-breeding population is estimated at around 6.5 million. Although the exact figure is difficult to determine, it is thought that rat populations have increased in urban areas. In addition to posing a serious pest problem, rats carry various diseases, including plague and Weil’s disease.
