How Lovely
Last night, I saw one of these scurry along the side of my building. Hmmmmm ....
According to Wikipedia, the source of all things true in the world, while wild rats living in cities may suffer from poor diet and internal parasites and mites, they do not generally spread disease to humans. It's good to know!
Other interesting Wiki rat facts:
- the province of Alberta has upheld and maintained a rat-free status since the early 1950s (take that you BC, Saskatchewan and Montana rats - ratports please!);
- Around 26% of all electrical cable breaks and 18% of all phone cable breaks are caused by rats. 25% of all fires of unknown origin are estimated to be caused by rats - Not in Alberta though! Do they have less cable breaks, I wonder?
- It was discovered that rats emit short, high frequency, ultrasonic, socially induced vocalization during rough and tumble play, and when tickled. This laughter is associated with positive emotional feelings and rats that laugh the most also tend to play the most, and those that laugh the most also prefer to spend more time with other laughing rats. Studies, however, could not prove that rats in fact have a sense of humour...
So there you have it. Rats - urban pests with advanced senses of joy!
posted by Karen @ 7:06 a.m.
2 Comments:
Growing up in Alberta we were constantly reminded of our unique rat free status. As a child I asked how we kept the rats out and was told that the mountains protected us on the South and West and that poison was used along the SASK border. I always wondered it that were true. I saw my first rat in Belize when I went there was as a student.
That's hilarious Creamed! I wonder what the Saskatchewaneans think about it!
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