Mischief Mayhem
What are these rats up to? A group of rats is called a ‘mischief’, which is pretty suiting considering the havoc they bring at times. I’m sure most of us have had a startling or possibly even near heart attack experience with a rat or mouse. Of course besides having them as pets, there are many reasons why we wouldn’t want them or their droppings (ew) near our homes, vehicles, or even us. Besides the mischief they cause by themselves, they can also attract their predators. However, they are a very important part of the food chain due to their size and their reproductive abilities as well as the health of grasslands and forests. Rats/mice can be interesting as long as they aren’t running wild all over our homes!
Fun facts about Rats
- Ever heard the expression “you filthy rat”.. you’ll be surprised to know rats prefer to stay immaculately clean and groom themselves for hours a day.
- The enamel on a rat’s teeth is stronger than some metals. This allows them to chew through cinder blocks, glass, lead, and wire. This is one reason wild rats can cause a considerable amount of destruction when they are inside buildings.
- If rats experience an electrical shock, they are often able to restart their own hearts.
- When Rats eat something they shouldn’t, they use the practice called pica. This means they will eat dirt or clay to dilute the effects of their mistaken dinner.
- A female rat has incredible reproduction abilities and can have 60-80 babies in a year. Their pregnancies only last about 3 weeks!
- With eyes on either side of their head that can move in opposite directions, rats are even able to see what’s happening above them to avoid their flying predators.
- Last and most certainly least, a single rat can leave 25,000 droppings a year–pew-ey!
