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Rat Cunning May Allow For Island Colonization
weighn writes "It was assumed that most rat invasions begin with one or two rats coming ashore from ships. The journal Nature reports that a wild rat, captured and then released on a deserted New Zealand island as part of an experiment, amazed scientists by apparently swimming 400 metres through treacherous open water to reach another island." From the article: "Researchers wanted to know how hard it would be to spot a single invader, and how difficult it would be to capture. Razza had a small radio transmitter attached and was set free on the island. Scientists intended to recapture him within eight weeks, but Razza gave a new meaning to 'rat cunning'. He avoided all the scientists' traps, and after 10 weeks his radio signal failed. 'It would be fair to say that at that point we were worried,' Professor Clout said. The Conservation Department was also worried, as the island had been cleared of rats."
Aw, crap. Now rats can swim 400 meters. That means we can't just clear one island of rats, we'll have to clear every island within 400 meters of rats. Jeez, now we'll never get rid of them.
I used to carry a bottle of whiskey for snake bite. And two snakes. -Nefarious Wheel
Rats are surprisingly smart creatures. They've been living close to humans for a few thousand years, and the humans have constantly been trying to kill them. They've managed to thrive (not just survive) because they are highly adapted to humans trying to catch and kil them.
They do better on some problems than dogs -- e.g. they don't fall for bait. They are terribly suspicious (paranoid) of any changes in their environment. Supposedly they have "culture" in the sense that a colony of rats (and their descendants down many generations) can learn to avoid certain types of food that they have reason (e.g. humans poisoning them) to avoid.
So it isn't at all surprising that the rat was able to best the humans! I'm surprised they caught the thing at all.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_
Interestingly, as I write this, the fortune (or random quote, or whatever it is called) at the bottom of the slashdot page says:
This poor rat gave all the strength it possessed, but ran away...
I still don't see why they had to kill it instead of just recapturing it. I mean, after such heroic efforts, it surely deserved better?
I had a rat couple visiting my Sydney, Australia kitchen at nights. They were getting stuck into our flour and who knows what else, so I purchased a humane trap to catch them so that I could set them free elsewhere in the wild (I've since found out that this would have been a very bad idea for the native bird life, since rats are known to raid nests for eggs or baby birds). The trap I purchased was primarily intended for possums, however it was very sensitive and suitable for rat capture.
The man who I purchased the trap from, informed me that I should tie the trap open and leave food inside, because the rats will cautiously investigate it and would be likely to trigger it from the outside by crawling on it and then be scared away from it from that point on. I thought this was a bit of exageration and did not think they were all that smart, so in my great haste, I set the trap proper with some apple that night.
In bed that night I listened, eager to hear the trap close... it did... I walked out into the kitchen to find a closed, empty trap.
So I set it again and over a period of weeks those rats NEVER triggered that trap again. Smart little buggers. They were amazing to watch too. They would run right up and down the gas pipe from my oven to the ceiling so fast, as if they were on flat ground. They would even watch me enter the kitchen, turn on the light and stand at the door to look back at them... and they'd just continue to eat my food while they looked back at me. They would not run until I approached further.
Unfortunately, the people down stairs from us used Rat Sack against them, so we were unable to save them and had a terrible smell coming up from the floorboards for weeks after that.
I won't underestimate the rat again. I really wish I'd taken that guys advice too. I would have been willing to keep them captive to see out their lives, although I certainly would never handle wild rats. I've had run-ins with some domestic rats and they were VERY nasty little bastards, so I would not want to be bitten by a wild, potentially diseased rat. In hindsight, I think in the future I'd probably just used a normal old killer rat trap. As horrible as it may sound. I put native wildlife before them any day.
War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
Hmmm. One of the limiting factors in human evolution is the caloric requirements of a massive, highly active brain. Some anthropologists believe that gaining the ability to hunt accelerated human evolution.
On the other hand, success puts a lot less survival pressure on us, as well as huge breeding populations into which mutations diffuse and disappear.
Now our friend the rat has plenty of calories, plenty of evolutionary pressure, thanks to us.
Any guess on how long it will take Rattus norvegicus to surpass us?
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Let me just say that this is not surprising (it is, however, neat). They're mischief, they're wily, and they're single-minded.
Most people, when they think at all of it, would place the rat near the mouse, the gerbil, and the hamster in intelligence. Play with a (socialized) rat for about 5 minutes and you'll see that that isn't the case at all: they're curious about their surroundings, they mess with things to see what they are (new things in my apartment are thoroughly inspected by the rats...whether I'd rather they did or not), and they have a concept of hiding as a means to an end[1].
Also, for such a small creature, they are very hardy and cope well with infirmity. I had a rat who took a nasty fall and sprained a forepaw to where she couldn't use it for about two weeks. Since their food was on one level, water on another, and nest on yet another - with the only way between levels to climb the walls of the cage or jump - I was going to move everything to the ground area when I saw her get up to the top level of the cage (cage is about 4' high) by jumping, grabbing the bars, scrambling 3-legged up the side, jump at the level and grab the ledge with her right side paws, and swing her body onto the ledge...to grab a piece of dried macaroni and casually jump to the bottom. No issue.
This is the norm for rats: they can lose a paw, lose inner ear functioning (ear infections can do that to them), be in a fair amount of pain, and they'll keep going. In fact, rat owners are cautioned that you need to check your rat for cuts and such because they won't make noise to let you know - the noise would betray them to predators[2].
They have an excellent sense of smell and are good at foraging. Also, unlike many other hoarding animals, rats tend to remember where their stashes are. I gave the rats a ritz cracker apiece one night. About an hour later when I thought they'd eaten them, I let them out to play. Two weeks later I'm watching TV when the rats haul their ritz crackers out of some unknown nook in the apartment and leave crumbs on my couch. Also, they don't gorge: they have a concept of "saving for later" - you can keep a full bowl of food for them no problem. The only question of whether or not they'll get fat is whether they like their wheel.
That's probably enough rat propaganda except to say that domestic fancy rats are incredibly cute and love people. a picture to give you an idea of the cute factor.
[1] - many animals that hide do so whenever threatened or fearful. They stop what they were doing, and they hide. When the threat is perceived to be over, they stop hiding. Rats join coyotes and a few other animals in that they understand "cover" - getting close enough to check something out without being observed.
[2] - that is, unless you have a little drama queen who squeaks and fusses whenever you do anything that wasn't her idea. I'd imagine that's a domestic trait.
Rats are tough though; not any cat is going to tangle with one if there is safer prey around -- probably the very critters we're worried about the gentle but efficient rats outcompeting.
I once had a rat killing cat. She wasn't big, in fact she was the smallest cat we'd ever had. It was just that she was just a warhead of bloodlust mounted on a lean, stealthy, rocket of a body. We picked her up as a stray, and there was something not right about her. She grew up into the self-appointed deputy Angel of Death. Granted this describes most cats -- in any feline dreams they may have. But this cat made it her business to murder anything that crossed her path and was less than twice her size.
Cat: "Meow" (Out.)
Me: Out to kill something, are we?
Cat: "Meow" (Out.)
Me: Well, just don't bring in the house.
Cat: "Meow" (What's left won't amount to much.)
Me: Very well, then have fun. Bye.
Cat (departing): "Meow" (Don't worry, I don't like you enough to bring you any presents.)
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
"Would you do it for a woman?
;)
As opposed to: No women, ever again?"
I'd certainly do it for "no company, ever again". Being completely alone on a deserted island, without any other people or any way to communicate with them I think I'd go nutty rather quick. If we're being quite specific as to "never making love to a woman ever again", that's not a total absolute to me. If I could live a life in complete luxury, gluttony and a few more deadly sins, I would do without. For this specific situtation, I'd have to be pretty damn desperate to swim over to another island in the off chance that it isn't deserted as well. Now throw in a nude woman on the other side inviting me over for sex, and I'm swimming
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
I had a pet rat a few years ago too, an albino. I inherited him off my brother after my brother developed an allergic reaction to him (he was his second rat). At first I only took him on because my brother knew I liked animals and would treat him well. I knew nothing about rats before then. But I soon learned that as well as being playful and inquisitive, domestic rats are very social creatures, and enjoy human contact. Mine never bit me once. On the contrary, he would sit there quietly and close his eyes when I tickled him behind his ears, then he'd reciprocate by holding my fingers in his front paws and licking them. He was extremely affectionate. I had to have him put down in the end because he developed a tumor in his spine and lungs and started loosing the ability to use his back legs. One of the most upsetting moments of my life.
My family has kept four rats in my life (Templeton, Terra, Anistasia, and Maize, 1 male and 3 females, respectively) All were lab rats previous to our owning them. I have only been bitten hard enough to draw blood (barely) once, and I suppose at the time I deserved it. I was young and was reaching under the couch intending to drag Terra out. None of them ever bit anyone else as far as I know.
domestic rats really are cute and playful, and can easily be allowed to run around with minimal supervision. One caveat: they chew. A lot. When we finally moved that couch that Terra liked to hide under, we discoved she had made a moonscape out of the carpeting, chewing big nestlike holes through both carpet and pad. They can chew a hole through thick cardboard in a couple of minutes, and thin wood in not much longer, provided they can get an angle to start at.
Our male rat outlived his female counterparts by a pretty wide margin (we sometimes wonder if it was due to his lab work). I would say our rats have lived an average of four years, and have all died of cancer. He is generally remebered a being more sociable, but I can't say whether this hold true for all males. I wouldn't get a breeding pair, as you would end up with a *lot* of rats in a fairly short order. However, you can get them neutered.
There was one vole that was trapped several times on three separate islands, the islands being about 200 - 500 m apart.
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Do they bite?
That's pretty much the most common question. The answer is: do dogs bite?
If the rat is well-socialized (handled by humans since young) and not kept by himself[1], then pretty much no. If the rat gets a pineal tumor or the like, it is possible that they can develop aggression - then again, if the rat has a pineal tumor, he's not long for this world.
None of my rats have ever bitten me. I stepped on Snow's tail once, and she screeched bloody murder, but she never bit me. I've fed them meat with my fingers (not a great idea with any animal, since your fingers then smell like meat) and they would start to chomp on my finger then stop when they realized it was me - a spooky feeling, but I never felt like they were going to bite.
I'm really not sure what I'd have to do to get one of them to bite, but that's pretty much all I can say: it's never happened to me.
The one almost-exception I'll make is for feet: for some reason, human feet drive rats wild. They'll rarely bite, but they will mouth them or groom them (slight nibbling). If you make a noise (like a squeak) they'll learn that they're hurting you and will stop.
I suppose that the health and disease issues can be solved by purchasing a pet from a reliable breeder. How about the temperament, though?
Well-raised rats are disgustingly healthy. They almost never need to go to the vet, there's no shots, nothing. They bathe themselves like cats (and they bathe all the time, it's a big deal). The one thing you have to keep in mind is to change their bedding on a regular basis. How often "regular" is depends on how many you have. I have 3 males (male rat urine is MUCH stronger than female) and have to change the bedding material about once every 4-5 days and their nesting material (what goes in their nest, like paper towels) about once every 2-3 days. You'll know when you need to.
Lastly, as to temperament: rats have worked out very well for some of the pet therapy groups that operate at children's hospitals. Children who are confined to the hospital get to play with an animal for a while - it's very nice. Rats do well for kids who are confined to their bed, as the rat can play on their bed with them and not disturb any tubes and the like. Some of them are very "kissy" (they lick people), which is a big hit with the kids.
You mention a drama queen rat. Are males more suitable for pets?
Well, the drama queen in this case is actually a male. "Drama king" just doesn't sound quite right. He doesn't do anything, he just lets you know that he is Not Amused when you pick him up from something he wanted to do. Within about 3 seconds he changes his mind and decides that what he REALLY wants to do is play with you. So there you go.
Both males and females work out great - but if you put them together they will breed like you can barely comprehend. Think litters of 10-16 every 5 months. Yeah.
However, if you fix the females or the males, they can go together great. Male rats will not fight over females, and the females like the attention.
Females are smaller and more busy than the males. Males tend to be a bit more affectionate, though the variation between rats is bigger than the variation between sexes. The females are prone to tumors, unfortunately, but if you get them fixed that subsides. The males are smellier than the females, but it's not bad.
Oh, and the males wrestle all the time. It's a lot of fun to watch. It's how they establish the pecking order - and they just like to do it. Usually at least once a night I'll have Max and Abernathy pushing each other across the floor. They also usually push each other around to decide who gets to sleep on me when I watch a movie.
[1] - rats are very intelligent and social. They do MUCH better in at least pairs. Most of the incidents I know of "moody" rats were those kept alone. They do okay-ish by themselves, but it's not as good.
I have a tabby that will attack anything moving including rubber balls rolling down stairs, objects thrown 4 feet high in the air, people's asses, legs going up stairs, etc.. Sure is an outside cat, although no presents yet, and sorta gets along with the black-spotted rabbit.
Yes, we had a tabby when I was a kid. We called it "Max", derived from the prominent "M" branded on its forehead by the fur pattern. "Mental" would have been more appropriate. My abiding memory of this alleged 'pet' (sadly put down about 7 years ago at the grand age of 15) was his unhinged reaction to my Kermit hand puppet. Max was an aggressive little bastard at the best of times, but one glance at Kermit sent him into an apoplectic whirlwind of teeth and claws, and woe betide anyone stupid enough to be playing with the frog within pouncing range. I can only speculate what went through his mad little feline mind when faced with a large felt bug-eyed frog. Good times. Dunno if that supports your argument about unnaturally-coloured cats, or simply means that tabbies are deranged.