Why Are Rats So Successful at Breeding?
WouterRats are remarkably adaptable and have a keen sense of smell. They can detect the scent of humans, cats and large birds. This is very important in their reproductive cycle. Rats can also climb up vertical surfaces and shimmy across smooth surfaces. Their jumping abilities allow them to gain access to homes and other buildings.
Rats breed prolifically during the spring and fall, and a female can give birth to as many as five pups in a single litter. Females reach reproductive maturity in just over three months. A litter size of two to seven pups is typical. Rats continue to breed until they reach the age of eighteen to twenty-four months. The newborn rats have no fur and are blind, but they grow rapidly. In about three weeks, a female will wean her pups, and within another three months, she will be sexually mature. This will enable her to challenge adult males for food.
Rats are notoriously successful at breeding. Their rapid reproductive cycles allow them to reproduce multiple times a day, even in their juvenile stage. They have been known to mate as often as 500 times in a six-hour period. Once fertilized, they have a litter that may contain anywhere from six to twenty babies. Unfortunately, this has earned rats a bad reputation. Rats are also notoriously filthy, and humans often associate them with snitches and traitors. They also tend to flee from collapsed buildings and sinking ships.
