BEHAVIOR

Rat Behavior

Depending on the density of the rat population, mating behavior may vary. At low densities, one male rat mates with a burrow of females. He will defend the burrow from other males and will only mate with the females within his group.

^{Norway Rat Crawling Near Oven}

When rat populations are large, a social hierarchy develops within a burrow. Stronger males become dominant, while weaker males are subordinate. Males no longer protect female burrows. When a female is estrous, several males mate with her sequentially, in the order of their social dominance.
Rats exhibit aggressive behavior when threatened. They may fight, chase, bite and box. Wild rats do not display some behaviors observed in domestic species, particularly sidling and belly-up defensive postures.
Rats dwell in cities, suburbs and rural areas. They are largely dependent on human communities for basic survival. They are curious explorers and often explore new surroundings. Rats are known to travel great distances and are wary of unknown objects in their established foraging paths. This skepticism makes trapping and baiting a rat particularly difficult.
Rat Borne Diseases