Where Do Rats Live in the Wild?
WouterRats are nocturnal and live in burrows and garbage. They are most active at night, when the darkness protects them from predators. Unlike humans, rats do not have eyesight, so they rely on their tails and whiskers to navigate. Their tails also help regulate their body temperature and help them communicate with each other.
Rats have a complex social system, with mating patterns that vary depending on density of the population. In low-density colonies, males often monopolize female burrows and estrus. However, in high-density areas, males may mate with more than one female, and this can lead to polygyny. Large groups of rats will copulate with many females, often through group mating.
Rats live in a variety of environments, including grainfields in the summer and tropical islands. Despite the fact that they can live in a variety of settings, most rats prefer to live in a place where food is abundant and predators are limited. Researchers Calhoun (1963) studied wild Norway rats in semi-natural enclosures and found that they dig underground burrows containing numerous holes and tunnels.
Adult and juvenile wild rats rarely fight with each other, but they do sometimes attack each other. While most of these encounters are friendly and harmless, they can lead to fatalities if the animals are overcrowded.
