Breeds of rats are distinguished by the patterns on their furs. Breeds include Dalmatian, English Irish, Essex, Berkshire, Masked, Capped, Variegated, Blaze, and Bareback. House rats can have different eye colors, and the most common are black, red, and ruby. ¹⁾

The rat that we can meet most often in the world is the common rat, whose Latin name is Rattus norvegicus. The common rat comes from South Asia. The British, who were the first to describe this species and give it its name, were convinced that it got to the British Isles on ships coming from Norway. ²⁾

Rats do not appear in the Bible. Hardly anyone has ever paid attention to this, so in many adaptations of the biblical story, we can come across references to rats. Nothing more misleading, in those days in this area of the world people, didn't yet know what these animals are because they never saw them. What is even more interesting, the inhabitants of both the Americas had their first contact with rats only around 1750 AD. ³⁾

Rats can find themselves in all conditions if only people are around. We provide the heat they need. We leave a whole lot of organic waste behind, which they can feed on. We allow them to move to more and more new places, along with our transports sent to different parts of the world. This makes Antarctica the only place where there are no rats. ⁴⁾

Rats are extremely durable creatures. They can survive regardless of the weather. Whether it is cold or hot, dry, or rainy, they are resistant to all conditions. Moreover, thanks to their small size, they can slip into a room through the smallest gap. ⁵⁾

Rats are very clean animals, spending several hours a day grooming themselves and their group members. ⁶⁾

Rats are most active between dusk and dawn. ⁷⁾

Rats are excellent climbers and will climb trees. ⁸⁾

A temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Karni Mata in northwestern India is home to more than 20,000 rats. ⁹⁾

Rats are extremely social and affectionate animals. They enjoy the company of other rats, and pet rats also love to be with humans. ¹⁰⁾

There are 56 known species of rats in the world. ¹¹⁾

Brown rats tend to have a negative geotaxis, meaning that they prefer to move downward rather than upward. ¹²⁾

Rats do not sweat like humans. They control their body temperature by expanding and contracting blood vessels in their tails. ¹³⁾

Rats were not responsible for the spread of the plague in the past, also known as the “Black Death.” ¹⁴⁾

Smell, taste, touch, and sound help direct rats to food sources. ¹⁵⁾

The Rat is the first of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. People born in this year are thought to possess qualities that are associated with rats, namely: creativity, intelligence, honesty, ambition, and generosity. ¹⁶⁾

Rats take care of injured and sick rats in their group. ¹⁷⁾