Where Can Rats Be Found?
WouterRats are a major threat to the ecosystem in a number of countries, including the United States and Canada. In some areas, eradication campaigns are proving to be an effective way to protect wildlife and preserve the local ecologies. In the United States, for example, two islands have been declared rat-free: Hawadax Island, which has been rat-free for two decades, and Campbell Island, a New Zealand island that was declared rat-free in 1988, following a successful eradication trial on nearby Hawea Island.
Rats are also commonly featured in fiction, though portrayals vary from positive to negative. For instance, in Kate DiCamillo’s Roscuro and Botticelli, the rat plays the villain. In horror movies, rats are often used as a torture device. In the movie The Rats, Willard and Ben use a rat as a torture device.
Rats prefer to live in residential areas, where they can find ample food and water. When it comes to breeding, female rats produce seven litters each year. Each litter contains between seven and eleven young, and their gestation period lasts 21 to 26 days. Their young are blind and furless and usually weaned at three weeks of age. Brown rats reproduce prolifically and can produce as many as 1500 young in a year.
Rats often gnaw on stored materials, including woodchips and electrical cords. They can also damage packaging and wooden structures. If you have a large infestation of rats, it is important to find out where they are coming from and take the necessary precautions to prevent them from returning.
