Rats just moved into Lakeview? (Chicago: shop, teach, pets)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by nearnorth

Agreed. They don't really bother me any more than squirrels, pigeons, or anything else. (Actually pigeons are probably worse. At least rats tend to get out of your way.) I've never had one in my residence that I'm aware of, though. I might feel differently then.

Rats are not something to mess around with. I'm amazed by the destruction they can cause. I once saw a building where a rat had loosened a brick and chipped away at the mortar.

Here are some facts about rats from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that mind-blowing:

Rats carry more than 40 harmful human diseases
such as murine typhus, the plague, rat-bite fever,
Weil’s disease, Chaga’s disease, rickettsial pox,
tularemia, Lassa fever, leptospirosis, salmonellosis,
lymphocytic choriomeningitis, and rabies.


Rat-borne diseases are thought to have taken more
human lives in the last 10 centuries than all the
casualties of all the wars and revolutions combined.


Each year, rats destroy approximately 20% of all
the agricultural products in the world.


Some species of rats can swim over a mile in open
water, and can tread water for up to three days.


Some species of rats can travel through sewer pipes
and dive through water plumbing traps.

Rats can climb brick walls, trees, and telephone poles, and walk across telephone lines.

Rats can fall from a height of 50 feet without
getting hurt.
Rats can jump three feet in the air from a flat
surface and leap more than four feet horizontally.


Rats can scamper through openings as small as a
quarter. General rule: If a rat’s head fits into the
hole then the body will follow.


Rats can chew through lead, cinder block, and
aluminum sheeting.

Rats’ teeth grow about four
inches a year, and they have to gnaw on things to
keep their teeth from pushing through their skulls.

Rats cannot go without food for more than 4 days.

Rats are prolific. Mother rats can have as many as
8-12 offspring about every 30 days as long as there
is enough food, shelter, and water.

The young rat is
sexually mature at 3-4 months of age.

Rats are nocturnal (active at night), so when you
see rats during the day this may signify a rat
population out of control, or you may be seeing
weaker, less competitive rats that are forced out
into the daylight by stronger more dominant rats.

In the U.S., about 14,000 people annually report
direct attacks from rats - ocassionally inflicting
mortal wounds

[rubbersoul89]

those rat facts are insane.

[datelinenbc]

Originally Posted by peterparker20

It's gross, it's unsightly, it doesn't fear man --- it may bite me and give me some varation of the Bubonic Plague.

I think I read somewhere that like 75% of rats with Plague are dead from Plague

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by peterparker20

It's gross, it's unsightly, it doesn't fear man --- it may bite me and give me some varation of the Bubonic Plague.

If you contract the plague could you post here and let us know what area to avoid.

[nearnorth]

My understanding is that scientists now believe the blaming of rats for the spread of the Plague has been exaggerated. They probably played a role, but wouldn't have been able to do all or even most of it on their own.

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Rats are not something to mess around with. I'm amazed by the destruction they can cause. I once saw a building where a rat had loosened a brick and chipped away at the mortar.

Here are some facts about rats from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that mind-blowing:

Rats carry more than 40 harmful human diseases
such as murine typhus, the plague, rat-bite fever,
Weil’s disease, Chaga’s disease, rickettsial pox,
tularemia, Lassa fever, leptospirosis, salmonellosis,
lymphocytic choriomeningitis, and rabies.


Rat-borne diseases are thought to have taken more
human lives in the last 10 centuries than all the
casualties of all the wars and revolutions combined.


Each year, rats destroy approximately 20% of all
the agricultural products in the world.


Some species of rats can swim over a mile in open
water, and can tread water for up to three days.


Some species of rats can travel through sewer pipes
and dive through water plumbing traps.

Rats can climb brick walls, trees, and telephone poles, and walk across telephone lines.

Rats can fall from a height of 50 feet without
getting hurt.
Rats can jump three feet in the air from a flat
surface and leap more than four feet horizontally.


Rats can scamper through openings as small as a
quarter. General rule: If a rat’s head fits into the
hole then the body will follow.


Rats can chew through lead, cinder block, and
aluminum sheeting.

Rats’ teeth grow about four
inches a year, and they have to gnaw on things to
keep their teeth from pushing through their skulls.

Rats cannot go without food for more than 4 days.

Rats are prolific. Mother rats can have as many as
8-12 offspring about every 30 days as long as there
is enough food, shelter, and water.

The young rat is
sexually mature at 3-4 months of age.

Rats are nocturnal (active at night), so when you
see rats during the day this may signify a rat
population out of control, or you may be seeing
weaker, less competitive rats that are forced out
into the daylight by stronger more dominant rats.

In the U.S., about 14,000 people annually report
direct attacks from rats - ocassionally inflicting
mortal wounds

Actually rats seems pretty awesome when you put it that way. They also have amazing physical capabilities...

[NARFALICIOUS]

According to wikipedia, scientists say they have metacognition. They already are survivors and in a sense killers and destroyers. Maybe a few million years and they'll be running planet of the rats???

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS

According to wikipedia, scientists say they have metacognition. They already are survivors and in a sense killers and destroyers. Maybe a few million years and they'll be running planet of the rats???

I'm pretty sure they will out-live humanity.

[Just1Fan]

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I'm pretty sure they will out-live humanity.

Honestly, on my most cynical days, I think that the giant panda will out-live humanity.