What Size Hole Can Rats Get Through?

One of the common questions that people ask is “What size hole can rats get through?” The answer is not as large as one would think. Rats have a cylindrical body with long, strong legs and sharp teeth. This makes them nimble and allows them to fit through small gaps. Rats usually measure about five inches long. Despite their short body, they have strong jaws and can squeeze through even the smallest holes.

A rat’s ability to squeeze through a small hole is a vital survival skill for an animal near the bottom of the food chain. By comparison, animals higher on the food chain are typically much larger than the animals below them. As a result, bigger animals are not able to squeeze through the same holes, preventing them from catching smaller creatures. Rats are quite clever and have evolved to exploit this ability by developing their body structures and behaviors to fit through small gaps.

Rats can squeeze through a hole that is about the size of a dime. This size of hole is small compared to the size of a rat, but it depends on several factors. A healthy adult rat can squeeze through a hole that is around 12mm in diameter.