Having black rats in your home can be a scary thing. Rats are fascinating creatures that are generally maligned because they contaminate food and spread disease. However, they have some remarkable characteristics as well. Did you know that they are excellent climbers, can laugh, have a large species, and their strong teeth never stop growing?  Let us learn more about rats and what makes them unique. Many people cringe and shudder at the thought of rats anywhere near them. In most cases, rats inhibit office buildings and homes because there are dark places to hide and forage for food scraps. Rats Can Swim Can you believe it? Rats are great swimmers and could give Michael Phelps some competition. Sure, rats can hold their breath for up to three minutes and can tread water for up to three days.  Some species can even swim over a mile without getting tired. There are stories of rats ending up in toilets. They can make their way up through the pipes easily. A Rat's Teeth Never Stops Growing Rats gnaw on anything they can get their paws on. They do this because their incisors never stop growing. If they didn't regularly grind them down, a rat's teeth would grow so long that they may become handicapped. Its front teeth can grow up to five inches in a year, and it needs to wear them down somehow. Chewing on things helps rats with problems with their teeth. They love to chew on wood and can bite through aluminum sheeting, scale brick, cinder blocks, brick or cement walls, and even lead. There Are Many Types of Rats The Norway rat, roof rat(black rats), white rat, and Rattus Norvegicus are the most commonly known species. However, most people don't know that over 56 known species of rats exist worldwide. Some Rats Get Big There are some giant rats out there. The rats rummaging through garbage cans are the most commonly seen. How big can rats get? Well, this one rodent called the Sumatran bamboo rat can measure 20 inches and weigh up to 8.8 pounds! That is comparable to a small housecat. The Gambian pouched rats are not as heavy as three pounds but can measure up to three feet long. The total length is determined by measuring from head to tail. Rats Are Prolific Breeders Rodents are prolific breeders. That is why they are so commonly found around the world. A female rat can have babies 13 times per year. A typical litter of six to 10 pups is expected when she gives birth. Sexual maturity occurs when these pups are only three to four months old. That means that young rats can start spawning their own broods by the time a human baby is able to hold up its head unsupported! They Are Social Creatures Communities are essential for rats. Most of them live in large groups where they play, sleep together, and even groom each other. On the other hand, they can be highly territorial, so an unfamiliar rat might be treated aggressively if they feel threatened. Did you know that a "group" of rats is called a "mischief"? Rat Can Carry Pathogens That Spread Disease One of the most well-known facts about rats is an important one. They do indeed carry pathogens that affect humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that rodents can spread over 37 diseases. In 2003 rats were responsible for a monkeypox outbreak. Rodents also played a considerable part in infecting humans during the middle ages of the bubonic plague (black death). Rats Can Laugh When rats play, they experience social joy. It is something that researcher Jakk Panksepp studied.  This behavior results in a high-pitched chirping noise. Their laugh is unlike a chuckle you might hear from a human being. Rats Can Squeeze Through Small Holes Most rats can fit through a hole the size of a coin. That is thanks to its skeleton, which is collapsible. The ribs can fold down like an umbrella because it is hinged to the spine. Any big hole enough for the rat's head to fit through should allow the rest of the body to pass. A Rats Bite is Painful Rats can bite hard. Very hard. Their jaws are built similarly to an alligator and can exert a massive downward force. Up to 7000 pounds of pressure per square inch can be delivered through their jawbone. That means it can easily tear through human skin and bone. There have been cases of people losing their fingers due to rats biting them. It uses the grinding features of its jaw to tear through bone membranes. Rats Can Control Their Bladder This statement holds valid even until today. Most people might assume that rats have no control over where they urinate. Rats can be extremely fussy about where they defecate and pee. A fancy rat typically makes use of particular corners and can be easily toilet trained.  Most people use a ferret size litter tray filled with paper cat litter. There are, however, other options on the market that are more rat-friendly. When rats pee, it is the way they mark their territory. If you get urinated on by your pet rats, consider yourself owned by them.  Rats are Exceptionally Clean As animals most often associated with rubbish bins and sewers, people tend to think of rats as dirty animals. They spend several hours each day cleaning themselves and others. Grooming takes place individually or as groups. This provides a sort of social bonding experience among the commensal rodents. Sometimes going into an extreme cleaning mode is considered an act of dominance. It is generally done among family members to establish a pecking order. Even though rats have poor eyesight and are color blind, a rat's sense of touch, smell, and taste are incredible. Their excellent senses have been used to detect landmines since the first World War. Pet rats usually employ water to help with their cleaning regime. By adding a water dish to your rat's cage, you can observe their washing habits. Pet Rats Are Just Like Wild Rats Most people might not like the fact that pet rats are nothing more than domesticated brown rats. They have developed various fur types, color patterns, and a calmer disposition over the years.  However, they are still the same species and can breed with wild cousins.  Initially, rats were domesticated to the blood sport rat baiting. Punters could bet on how many rats a terrier could kill within a particular time limit they gained. Only in the 20th century did they gain popularity as pets. The Bosavi Woolly Rat In 2009 the Bosavi woolly rat was discovered in the Papua New Guinea jungle. It can reach a length of 32 inches and is the most enormous rat found today. The size of this animal is similar to the Gambian pouched rat and other rats in that category. It was discovered by the team filming a BBC wildlife documentary. The find happened in an extinct volcano crater known as Mount Bosavi. This cater is 3,300 feet above sea level, an area that no one through the rat could exist. These rats also show no fear of humans, but that could be due to their large size. Female Rat Facts Within six hours, a doe (female rat) can mate around 500 times. Females are fertile every three weeks and can produce a typical litter size of seven to 20 babies. While all rats are social creatures, females tend to be more territorial and smaller in size. At the same time, the male rat counterpart is often more playful and snuggly. Brown Rats The common brown rat features a pointed nose, large bare ears, scaly tail, and grey-brown fur. Known as the fancy rat, the male rats can grow up to 10 inches. If you want to learn more about what rats look like, click here! An undomesticated brown rat can spread diseases through its urine—diseases such as Salmonella, Listeria, Leptospirosis, or Weil's disease.  These creatures can also cause a significant amount of structural damage to homes and furniture. An infestation can ruin a business's reputation. Conclusion Many animal deterrent tips can be found online to get rid of your problem as soon as possible. Things like having animals that eat rats (example: cats!) in the household is found to be very effective in preventing rats in house. If you are struggling with dealing with rats in the garden, at home, or in your workplace, AAAC Wildlife Removal can assist you with that.  We hope that you learned something from all these interesting facts about rats! Originally published on https://aaacwildliferemoval.com/blog/rats/cool-facts-about-rats/

• Brian Moss (President)
• AAAC Wildlife Removal

11/28/2022

Total words : 1453

The most common types of wild rats in North America include: Brown Rats: also known as wharf rats, or Norway rats Black Rats: also known as ship rats, or roof rats Packrats: also known as wood rats Marsh rice rats Rats are extremely common animals to have near your home, and there are different species you should know about if you think you might have an infestation. Read on, and find out the different types of rats, some cool rat facts, as well as how to manage them. Brown Rat, Wharf Rat, or Norway Rat Among all the rat species, brown rats are the most common ones. They usually live in urban areas, which is why you might have seen them around your house or know someone who has. Their scientific name is Rattus Norvegicus. Norway rats came from China, but now they are all over the world - basically, in any place where there are humans (except for Antarctica). Norway rats typically have grey or brown rat fur with light fur on their underside. It is one of the largest rat species, and it can weigh twice as a roof rat and much more than a house mouse. Additionally, brown rats are often eight to 10 inches long, while their tails are seven to 10 inches long, which makes the tail almost as big as the body. Adult males can weigh 350 g on average, whereas females are often around 250 g. In some cases, Norway rats can weigh up to 1,000 g, but that can almost exclusively happen with house rats. Wild specimens are almost always 300 g at most. Therefore, stories with 'rats as big as cats' are commonly an exaggeration since most of them are considerably smaller. Just like other rodents, brown rats can carry many diseases that are dangerous to humans, which is why rat control is so important. Unfortunately, a Norway rat specimen is part of an invasive species, and in spite of the rats' poor eyesight, they are superb climbers and have a keen sense of smell, so only a pest control company like AAAC Wildlife Removal could help you manage the infestation properly. A Norway rat or brown rat often lives in places like sewers and can transmit diseases such as rat-bite fever, cryptosporidiosis, Weil's disease, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and hemorrhagic fever. Even though the brown rat transmits many different diseases, domesticated Norway rats are often the pet many people choose. Scientists can also use a brown rat as a lab rat since their physiology is ideal for many experiments. However, wild rats are still dangerous, so you should never hesitate to call and get professionals to help you if you have a rat problem. Ship Rat, Roof Rat, or Black Rat Adult black rats are smaller than Norway ones, as they are often between five and seven inches long. Their tails are between six and eight inches long, and they often weigh 75 to 230 g, but it entirely depends on their subspecies. Even though black rats have a very specific name, their fur can be a different color such as light brown or grey. Furthermore, they are native from India but they now reside in every continent of the world. Black rats are omnivores, and they are famous for being a menace to farmers because they often eat their crops. Moreover, roof rats often don't have food preferences, so they could eat anything from swine to dog and human food. Both black and brown rats belong to the genus Rattus, and they can live wherever humans are near. However, black rats often prefer less-populated places to live in, which is why they are not so common in urban areas. A black rat could live in areas with many people, but they became immensely famous due to their role in the spreading of the bubonic plague. Since they deeply enjoy staying in ships, they used to live there and spread the plague among the people aboard, which is why it quickly spread throughout Europe; thus the rats' nickname: 'ship' rats. Moreover, a black rat often seeks more tropical climates. Nonetheless, there is evidence that it can survive in extremely cold weather, which shows that it can adapt to extreme conditions when they need to survive. Black rat populations are a threat to many natural habitats, crops, and people. And despite many rat predators lurking about, their population just keeps growing. They carry different diseases, such as typhus, Weil's disease, the bubonic plague, trichinosis, and toxoplasmosis. At the same time, they feed on insects, birds, human food, and agricultural-based crops alike, which makes them extremely harmful. Although many people like having domestic rats as pets, wild black rats can carry many diseases, viruses, and bacteria. Most homeowners quickly identify a nest if they find shredded paper in secluded spaces, so you should consider that if you want to make sure you have none of these specimens at home. Woodrats or Packrats Also known as bushy-tailed rats or woodrats, pack rats are rodents as well, and they usually weigh between 300 g and 600 g. Adult females are somewhat lighter since their weight can vary from 230 g to 350 g, with an average of 270 g. Packrats belong to the same species as cotton rats, which is called the rodent genus Neotoma. They have very large black eyes, a fluffy long tail, and big ears. They are extremely common in the United States and northern Mexico, as well as other parts of Central America. Just like many other rats tend to do so, packrats build nests. They find any available debris such as sticks, twigs, and branches, which can be very dangerous. In many cases, they might get into your attic and damage electrical wiring, or they could even get into your car and do some serious harm. Overall, they wreak havoc anywhere they go, and they often make a lot of noise, so identifying them is not very hard. A unique rat characteristic that they have is they will drop something they're carrying if they find something else that interests them more. At the same time, they often like shiny objects. Other species don't demonstrate this feature, but packrats stick to a specific habitat type that is located in their range. In other words, once they have built a nest, they often stay there for a long time. They can eat fruits or any other type of food, and their coat is usually light brown. Overall, they might try to locate any place where they have easy access to things they can eat and steal to build their nests. Marsh Rice Rats Marsh rice rats are another type of rodent people might find in their homes, especially if they live in the United States. They are particularly common in Florida, and the specimens in that state often have a more reddish coat of fur. This type of rat is very similar to black and brown ones, but the color of their fur is immensely different. Unlike the other two specimens, this one has a grey or brown underside, and heads backs, and torsos have lighter-colored fur. Additionally, the feet are off-white. On average, marsh rice rats weigh 40 to 80 g, and males are typically heavier than females. They are also nine to 12 inches in length, which makes them bigger than other species. Unlike Norway and black ones, marsh rice ones are not that common. Scientists believe it's due to weather conditions. Furthermore, there are often more marsh rats in the summer than in winter, though in states like Louisiana and Texas they are more stable during all seasons. Studies done in Mississippi proved that meteorological phenomena such as rain and floods caused an immense impact on the rat population, which is why it can dramatically change from year to year. How to Deal with Infestations If you find rats' nests, you might be wondering whether you have true rats at home. In many cases, you might want to take care of the situation yourself. However, the best way to stop rodents from infesting your home is to get professional help. Contacting the experts at AAAC Wildlife Removal provides you with a team of people who are ready to manage your issue. Moreover, you never have to worry about using the wrong methods and suffer from a persistent rat infestation. With AAAC Wildlife Removal, you can simply trust that the experts solve your problem as soon as possible. Once they're at your house or place of business, they can evaluate the situation and determine the cause of your rat issue and resolve it quickly and completely. Finding rats and managing an infestation sounds easy, but using the wrong methods can cause a lot of consequences. To avoid any unwanted and unnecessary situations, you should trust experts in the field and leave everything up to them. Rats live near human habitations, which is why it is very common to find them at home. Therefore, you should contact AAAC Wildlife Removal to ensure you and your family stay safe at all times. We will remove rats from the garden, your home, decking, or shed. Originally published on https://aaacwildliferemoval.com/blog/rats/different-types-of-rats/

• Brian Moss (President)
• AAAC Wildlife Removal

11/28/2022

Total words : 1526

A rat is one of the most common rodent types you might find near your home. However, they are often a public health concern since they can carry dangerous diseases. Read on, and find out some of the most common types you could have around your home, as well as their distinguishing features. Common Types of Rats in Your Home Rats are rodents with long tails. There are many kinds of rats, such as the Norway rat (Rattus Norvegicus), the Genus Rattus, and much more. House rats are very common, which is why understanding the basics is essential. You should worry if you have rats and mice at home. Scientific research has proven that they are rodents who usually invade your space to get food, and in many cases, they transmit diseases. Unfortunately, rat infestations can infect humans - for example, they transmitted the bubonic plague. Rattus species include many types of rats, and you could have some of those at home. This is why it's important to prevent rats from entering your home. All members of the Rattus species are native to tropical areas, and some authorities recognize up to five different species clusters. Here are some of the most common types you might find at home: Norway rat Ship rat Woodrat Marsh rice rat Distinguishing Characteristics If you want to be able to tell a black rat from a wharf rat, you need to start by identifying rats themselves and differentiating them from other rodent types. Take a look at a rat's distinguishing features. Eyes In most cases, female and male rats have dark eyes. At the same time, since the eyes are positioned on each side of their head, rats have a great vision field but a poor perception of depth. Ears Rats and mice are often known for the shape of their ears. However, a rat often has much smaller ears than other rodents, and they're one of the few spots in their body that's completely bald. Nose  The nose of a rat is extremely useful for them to detect all sorts of things in the environment. It's elongated and highly sensitive due to the VNO, a structure that's in a cigar-shaped passage in the nasal cavity floor. Mouth Rats have very unique mouths that are hard to confuse with other rodents. All wild rats have a mouth with large incisors exposed, which is a product of the cleft in the upper lip. Considering that rat's molecular biology is that of a gnawing mammal, the incisors will never going to stop growing. Tail Most rats have a long tail, which is why you can easily differentiate them from mice. It doesn't matter if they're male or female rats - their tail is extremely long compared to other rodents. Feet  The feet of a rat is small, but they also have features that help them adapt to their environment and survive. In this case, they possess fleshy pads of different sizes depending on the species, and that helps them move faster. Body A rat's body is much larger than a mouse's, so you can easily differentiate the two just due to their size. Some rats can be around nine inches long from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, whereas other rats can be as big as 19 inches long. Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus) or Brown Rat Norway rats are also known by many other different names, such as brown rats, common rats, wharf rats, street rats, Hanover rats, or Parisian rats. It is a brown or red rat species that are often between nine inches and 11 inches long. Its weight oscillates between 140 g and 500 g, and many scientists believe it originated in China. Even though experts believe Norway rats come from northern China, nowadays, they exist everywhere but in Antarctica, and they reside wherever human beings are (typically in urban areas). Rat models are very convenient for scientists to make different experiments. However, brown rats have also been bred for other purposes, which is why people also have pet rats that come from that species. The Norway rat's name origins are not clear, since it is obvious that the species did not originate in Norway. Lastly, their fur is often dark brown or grey, whereas the bottom part of it is frequently lighter in color. Roof Rat Also known as the ship or the black rat, the roof rat is a small rodent. Experts believe it originated in the Indian subcontinent, but you can now find it in any part of the world. Adult roof rats' body length is usually between five and seven inches long, and they weigh between 75 g to 230 g. Even though they are called 'black' rats, their fur can be brown as well with a light underbelly. Additionally, this type of rat is an omnivore, which means that they are small mammals that eat all types of food. Furthermore, they are considered generalists, so they don't have specific food preferences; thus, they can eat any food meant for cows, dogs, swine, cats, and chickens. Black rats originated in Asia, but they quickly found their way to the rest of the world in the first century AD when they arrived in Europe. After that, Europeans spread the species around, often unknowingly having them in their ships. Unlike brown rats, black ones usually stick to warm and depopulated areas instead of urban ones. They are also extremely resistant to extreme weather, and they are much more aggressive and wild than other types of rats. Common House Mouse This species belongs to the order Rodentia, and it is also a small mammal. Its physical characteristics include a long, almost-bald tail, large ears, and a big snout. It is one of the most common species you can find at home. Moreover, it is so abundant among humans. Thus, it is currently rare to find them living completely in the wild - it is much easier to come across the semi-tame populations that live near people. House mice have been domesticated, and now humans can have them as pets. Additionally, lab mice also stem from their domestication, and they are one of the most vital model organisms used in scientific research. Compared to the previously mentioned species, a house mouse is extremely small since its body length is between three and four inches and only weighs between 40 and 45 g. When these types of mice are in the wild, you can find them in different colors such as grey, black, or light brown. Nonetheless, domesticated ones are unique, and people often like them because they can be white or even champagne. All common house mice use their tail for balance. Furthermore, their tails are almost entirely bald since they act as a thermoregulation mechanism in their bodies, which is also what the hairless bits of the paws and ears do, though to a lesser extent. An essential fact about house mice's tail length is that it varies depending on the mouse's postnatal development, and more essentially, its body temperature. Consequently, mice that live in cold areas often have short tails. Rat Behavior Rats are immensely curious creatures, and they often bite things to explore their surroundings. Unfortunately, your objects, or even sleeping babies, might be the object of their exploration, which can be extremely dangerous. In many cases, rats may also bite if they feel threatened, which can happen when the person is near their nest. Even though a house rat is a domesticated species you may have at home as your pet, wild rats do not fit that category and often come from the sewers or similar places. Natural history has allowed rats to have very sharp teeth and a great sense of smell, so they can quickly detect rat predators and react to them if necessary. However, the perils of rat attacks are not limited to their ruthless bite, because they also carry disease. Rats are carriers of animal-borne diseases, also known as zoonoses. Thus, if a rat bites you, you might need different shots to ensure you don't have further complications. On many occasions, one rat bite can cause rat-bite fever. A rat can also transmit the bubonic plague through its fleas. Moreover, it could give you salmonella if their fur has bacteria and they walk through your food. Considering that rats can transmit so many different diseases, it is no wonder that many people want to ensure they never have them at home. Overall, it is an animal that could make you sick, so you should keep that in mind if you believe you might have an infestation. Get in touch with AAAC Wildlife Removal today if you need help with rat control in your garden or in your home. Originally published on https://aaacwildliferemoval.com/blog/rats/characteristics-of-a-rat/

• Brian Moss (President)
• AAAC Wildlife Removal

11/28/2022

Total words : 1472

Nature has given all animals the physical assets they need to survive in their habitat. In this case, "good eyesight" is a subjective expression. While rats lack the razor-sharp vision of a bird of prey, their vision is more than adequate for the tasks they must complete on a daily basis. However, does this mean a rat's eyesight is good? Let's take a further look! Do Rats Have Good Vision? It is worth emphasizing that rats are not like other animals in that they do not have a true 20/20 vision, to begin with. In fact, if you looked through the eyes of a rat, you would see that they perceive the world through a blurry haze. They can only see a few feet at best and are relatively nearsighted critters, so if your pet rat is not reacting to your presence across a large room, it is because they cannot see you. This doesn't indicate they are losing their vision; it just was not that good, to begin with. Rats, on the other hand, have much better hearing. If you open a door, cough, or scuff your shoes on the floor, they will react. The truth is that most species of rats have adapted to living and feeding in low light conditions; their vision is poor even close up, and it is non-existent at a longer distance. Therefore, before you start worrying about your rat turning blind, keep in mind that your rat is not very reliant on its vision in the first place. Can Rats See in Color? Yes, rats can see things in color. In their retina, they contain two kinds of color cones: one for seeing blue ultraviolet light and the other for recognizing green light or colors. Rats have a similar color perception to human beings, except they are red-green colorblind, which means they see shades of red as a generally dark tone. In terms of vision, rats come up short of people in terms of clarity. Rats Can See Ultraviolet Light Rats (Rattus norvegicus) have two types of cones, one with an ultraviolet-sensitive photopigment (UV) and the other with a pigment that is most sensitive in the visible spectrum's middle wavelengths. Via recordings of behavioral discrimination tests and a gross electrical potential (the electroretinogram, ERG), the researchers looked at how signals from these two cone types influence rat vision. The spectral sensitivity functions acquired from both methods of measurements show that each of the cone classes has a distinct contribution. However, the behavioral index shows a significant increase in relative sensitivity to UV light; for example, rats are roughly equally sensitive to middle-wavelength and UV lights under particular photopic test circumstances. The thresholds for UV and middle wavelength lights were shown to be differentially enhanced in the presence of chromatic adapting backdrops in adaptation tests. This suggests that the rat visual system may utilize signals from the two cones to facilitate color discriminations. After that, wavelength discrimination studies done on rats revealed that they have dichromatic color vision. Rats Have Blurry Vision Due to the number and size of light-detecting cones in a rat's eyes, they can distinguish distinct colors but see much of their surroundings as a blur. A rat's capacity to sense color contrast is limited, but given that they are predominantly nocturnal, this isn't a critical adaption for them. Moreover, rats' eyes have a great reaction to brightness and are often light averse. Poor Visual Acuity The rat's world is a hazy one. The number of lines that may be seen as distinct inside a degree of the visual field is assessed in cycles per degree (cpd), which is a measurement of visual acuity. Human acuity is around 30 cpd, one cpd for normally pigmented rats, and 0.5 for albino rats (Prusky et al. 2002, 2000; also see Birch and Jacobs 1979 who found 1.2 cycles per degree for pigmented rats and 0.34-0.43 cycles per degree for albino rats). When we convert Prusky's cpd measurements to vision chart measures, we find that a typically pigmented rat has 20/600 vision; however, an albino rat has 20/1200 vision. The density of ganglion cells in a rat's retina can also be used to determine rat acuity. The higher the acuity at that location of their retina, the denser the ganglion cells will cluster. Thus, the densest area of ganglion cells in a rat is 52.8o broad and placed slightly temporal to and above the optic disk (defined as the zone covering 75 percent of maximum ganglion cell density). This area has a maximum density of 6,774 cells/mm2. This is not extremely dense; the fovea, the densest part of a human's retina, has a maximum of 38,000 cells per mm2 (Curcio and Allen 1990). Rats Can Move Their Eyes Independently Each of a rat's eyes may move independently. The eyes of a rat are on the side of their head, allowing them to see with a panoramic perspective. Furthermore, rats have a blind spot in the middle of their optical field, just like humans. The brains of both humans and rats compensate for this by putting together the data from each eye and filling in the gaps. Rats, on the other hand, can broaden their field of vision in ways that humans cannot by shifting each eye in varying directions, allowing them to keep one eye on the skies. This is most certainly an evolutionary adaption that allows rats to be aware of dangers from rat predators in the air. Rats Are Nearsighted Unless an animal has extraordinarily big eyes, such as a bird of prey, or numerous eyes, it usually has to give up either depth perception or field of vision. Animals with eyes on the side of their heads have a nearly 180-degree perceptual range, but poor depth perception. People and other animals with front-facing eyes have great binocular vision and thus high depth perception, but a narrower range of perception. Rats, on the other hand, use a method called motion parallax to compensate for their weak depth perception. They can take several mental photos of the range of vision directly in front of them by bouncing their heads up and down. These head movements allow the brain to subsequently calculate an estimated depth. Visual Orientation Rats use visual signals from afar to orient themselves (Hebb 1938, Lashley 1938). Carr (1913) discovered that rats conditioned in a sideless maze lost their way if the circuit was rotated; however, their performances did not suffer if the visual environment was turned along with the maze (Higginson 1930). The inclusion of visual cues in mazes accelerates maze learning, whereas the absence of visual cues allows even the most experienced rat to make mistakes (Honzik 1936).  In addition, rats may rely on their whiskers rather than their sight at short distances. Rats were positioned on a sheet of glass in another experiment. The glass-covered half of a surface and the other half of a void. A visual cliff experiment is what it's called. Human children, for example, prefer to step on the glass above the platforms rather than the glass over the dropoff because they rely on visual information to perceive depth. Rats, on the other hand, strolled boldly on the glass poised over a dropoff, choosing the shallow and deep sides of the glass in equal proportions. Their whiskers indicated that they could walk on the solid surface. Rats with clipped whiskers, on the other contrary, avoided the dropoff and picked the shallow side, showing that they were forced to depend on vision to sense depth without whiskers (Schiffman et al. 1970). They Rely on Their Other Senses Pigmented rats rely on their senses of hearing and smell more than humans do. They rely heavily on whisker contact to navigate. When it comes to a rat, poor vision is not as severe as it is for a person. Rats live in an intense world of smell, sound, and touch, rats have unique physical characteristics that allow them to navigate their environment effectively. The albino rat has to compensate for its near-blindness by relying on its other senses. Unfortunately, when comparing pigmented and albino rats, albino rats seem to have a poor sense of smell. Albinos, on the other hand, seem to have an adequate hearing. Vision Damage The rat's retina loses most of its cells as it ages, and sections of the retina become larger and thicker. The capillaries that nourish the retina also thicken significantly (Weisse 1995). As a result, adult rats are unlikely to see as well as young rats. Conclusion Rats with normal pigmentation have hazy or poor vision with dim blues, greens, and ultraviolets. The rats may or may not understand the significance of these colors. This type of vision is presumably fine for rats, who can see food and other rats from a short distance yet are alert to approaching dogs or hawks, as well as distant orientation cues. Within a few weeks of opening their eyes, albino rats are likely to be severely visually impaired or blind. Their retinas degrade, their brains struggle to coordinate images from their two eyes, and they have problems seeing in both strong and dim light. For more information on rat prevention and dealing with rats in the garden or home, call AAAC Wildlife Removal today! If you're looking for some more cool and interesting facts about rats, like how big rats can get, which animals eat rats, or what rats look like, click here! Originally published on https://aaacwildliferemoval.com/blog/rats/rat-eyesight

• Brian Moss (President)
• AAAC Wildlife Removal

11/28/2022

Total words : 1614

There are numerous rodent species found all over the world. Most rodents are formidable pests in human homes. They can thrive in urban and rural environments and cause significant structural damage. A small rodent can also spread dangerous diseases.  Controlling rodent infestations is critical to protecting human health and the structural integrity of infested structures. Some are stronger than others. Deer mice are known to be spreading diseases of deadly viruses like rat bite fever and may necessitate special precautions. However, we must identify rodent species appropriately before attempting control or extermination methods.  What Do Rodents Look Like? There are many different rodents, but they all share some common physical characteristics. Rodents are typically small animals with short legs, hind legs, or thin tails. They have sharp incisors that are continuously growing throughout their lives. These incisors are used for gnawing and are one of the primary ways rodents cause property damage. Size and shape How a rodent looks may vary based on its species. Many rodents are round bodies that are petite, compact, furry, four-limbed animals with tiny claws and a long tail that may be furred as in squirrels or bare as in rats. Their keen senses and propensity for having long whiskers enable them to explore their surroundings even when it is dark. All rodents have four long, open-rooted incisors that continue to develop throughout their existence, distinguishing them as rodents.  Color Rodents come in a wide range of colors, from black and brown to gray and white. Some rodents, like the chinchilla, even have multi-colored fur. The type of fur on a rodent can also help with identification. For example, rats and mice have smooth coats, squirrels have furry tails and beavers have scale-like hair on their tail. Tail The tail length can also help identify the type of rodent. For example, rats and mice have long, skinny tails, while squirrels have shorter, fluffy tails. Some rodents have thick tails or thin tails that they use for balance. The function of the tail also varies depending on the species. For example, some rodents use their tails to store food, while others use them to climb trees or swim. Behavior Most rodents are social animals, gregarious, and like to live in families. The chinchilla lives in herds, but the prairie dog lives in what can be called communities. Families frequently consist of parents and their kids. Colonies of females, their young, and a male who guards their territory make up brown rats. In matriarchal rodent groups, females and offspring coexist, and males get expelled when they reach or are on the verge of sexual maturity. With ground squirrels, this occurs. The naked mole rat exhibits rodent behavior at its greatest extreme. The solitary female can reproduce, and the queen rules the colony. The other mole rats are present to look after the settlement and the babies. Compared to mammals, these creatures behave more like eusocial insects.  Rodents leave scent trails in their feces, urine, and glandular secretions. Although these compounds may be repulsive to humans, they allow rodents to distinguish between relatives and family and strangers and foes. Numerous rodents make noise, including the distinctive squeak of the house mouse, marmot whistles, squirrel barks, and vocalizations that are inaudible to humans. Identification Most rodents get identified by their behavior, specific body features, and coloration. Some rodents have solid coloration, while others have dual or gradual color variations between their backs, feet, or bellies. Some rodents have tails much shorter than their body lengths, while others have longer tails. Rats have hairless ears and tails and are more significant than most mice. House Mouse  Common pests like House Mouse are tiny, slender rodents with small, black, slightly projecting wide eyes, sparsely hairy ears, and a practically hairless tail with clear scale rings. They have gray or buff-colored bellies. House mice are dark gray. On their upper incisors, harvest mice have grooves. Adult house mice measure 3 to 4 inches in length from the snout to the base of the tail, and their tails are 2 to 4 inches long. They usually weigh 0.4 to 0.9 ounces. Roof Rat Long and slender rodents called roof rats feature huge eyes, ears, pointed noses, and scaly tails. Roof rats often have soft, smooth brown fur with scattered black patches. They frequently have white, gray, or black undersides.  When the head and body lengths get added together, it measures 6-8" (16–20 cm). Their tails, which measure 7 to 10", are noticeably longer than their heads and bodies (19-25 cm). It indicates that roof rats can grow to a length of more than 40 cm. Usually, they weigh 5 to 9 ounces (150 to 250 g), although they can get as big as 12 ounces (340 g). Squirrel Squirrels are typically little rodents with long tails, big eyes, and slender bodies. They have various fur that might be white, gray, yellow, red, brown, or black. Their short, soft, and silky fur is typically variable in thickness according to the species. Chipmunk With the size of about a teacup, Chipmunks are little members of the squirrel family who are lively and quick-moving creatures. As a result of their round cheeks, big, shiny eyes, stripes, and bushy tails. Deer Mouse Deer mice typically have a circular form and are between 5 and 8 inches long. Typically, they have dark brown or brown skin, white feet, and white underbelly. Deer mice always have bicolored tails, often half brown and half white. It makes them easy to recognize. At birth, baby deer mice are pink and hairless. Muskrat  A foot to two feet long, the muskrat is a sizable rodent. It has a thick body, a rounded head, and a 7–12 inch long, black, scaly tail. Its tail is vertically flattened. A muskrat's tail is used as a rudder to navigate across the water. Gopher Small, hairy rodents called pocket gophers like to make tunnels under people's yards in North and Central America. Because they have external, fur-lined cheek pouches or pockets, their full name is a pocket gopher. Food is transported from one spot to another using their pockets extending back to their shoulders. Groundhog Groundhogs can grow to be between 16 and 22 inches long and weigh between 5 and 13 pounds as adults. Their short tails and compact, hefty bodies are coated with brownish-gray fur. The front foot of groundhogs is strong, and they have curved claws for digging burrows and four legs. Porcupine Although they have silky hair, porcupines frequently have sharp quills mixed in with it on their back, sides, and tail. Typically, these quills are flat until they get threatened, which springs to attention as a strong deterrent. Contrary to popular belief, porcupines cannot shoot at predators, although they quickly come off when touched. Vole  Small rodents, known as voles, are related to hamsters and lemmings. They have a sturdy build, long hairy tails, slightly rounded heads, and small eyes and ears. They have unusually shaped molars because they are high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-crowned with round points. Norway Rat The Norway rat is a kind of rodent found in Texas. It has a big body, dense, short-haired fur that is gritty and fuzzy, a blunt nose, and small eyes and ears. Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) have a gray to yellow-white underside and are brown with stray black hairs. Prairie Dog Black-tailed prairie dogs are 15 inches long on average as adults. Their relatively coarse, sandy brown to cinnamon hair with grizzled black tips covers their entire chunky bodies. Prairie dogs have a minimal undercoat. Pale cream to white fur cover their bellies. There are four short, muscular legs on prairie dogs and a short tail. Have A Rodent Infestation Problem? If you have a rodent infestation problem on your property, AAAC Wildlife Removal is the best company to call. We'll take care of the problem quickly and efficiently so you can feel safe in your home. Fortunately, the pros at AAAC Wildlife Removal are available to assist in resolving problems caused by these unauthorized visitors. Call us today! Final words Occasionally, you can stumble into a rodent in the wild or your yard. Or possibly a rodent will soon move into your house, either temporarily or permanently. So, remember the traits and characteristics of rodents you've read about here! And keep your eyes peeled! While some could be challenging to recognize, others will serve as familiar faces.

• Brian Moss (President)
• AAAC Wildlife Removal

11/28/2022

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