preview

Domesticated Rats Research Paper

Better Essays

Recently, some of the most populated cities around the world are experiencing a “rodent crisis”. Though they have only been around for a few decades, recent research suggests that rats have learned to adapt and evolve along with humans. As expected, rodents such as rats and mice thrive in urban areas, where humans provide food and shelter.

Members of the genus Rattus originate from Australia and Asia. Typically, people confuse rats with mice because they share similar characteristics but, rats can be differentiated from mice. Rats are commonly medium size rodents that have a thin tail and longer, thinner bodies compared to mice. There are approximately fifty species of rats in the world. Rats are commonly found in almost every type of environment …show more content…

Soon after the introduction of the Norway rat into Western Europe, albino mutants made their appearance in wild populations, which is a common occurrence in the case of wild mammals. Due to their attractive coats and distinctive appearance, these white rats were captured and tamed by humans. Thus, albinos were most likely the first domesticated rats to be kept as pets. In fact, throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in France and England, lots of rats were being caught by humans, due to the despicable yet popular sport of "rat baiting." Rat baiting involved placing a terrier dog in a pit with 100 or so rats. A keeper measured the time until the last rat was killed, and men would place bets on how long it took the terrier to kill all the rats. Hundreds of rats were captured and placed in pounds prior to these contests. Here, too, the albinos were removed and kept for show purposes and breeding. Rat baiting was finally ended by decree, but this sport flourished for nearly 70 years. The wild Norway rat made its way into the United States by way of ship around 1775, replacing the already established House rat, as it had in …show more content…

Additionally, understanding urban rat ecology can help diminish the harmful effects such as structural damage, food contamination, and disease spread that rats can have on urban ecosystems. The survey results suggested that rat infestations fluctuate seasonally and that there are a variety of environmental factors that may attract rats, particularly exposed garbage, abandoned buildings, and compost. The article also argues that rat infestations are severe in residential areas, commercial areas dealing with food, as well as in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status. Generally, rats pose at least a moderate health risk to the public and although poison baiting is the cheapest and easiest method of rat control, environmental modification is the most effective way to control rat infestations in the long term (Feng, A. Y., T., & Himsworth, C. G.,

Get Access