Just thinking of the question, “Can rats kill you?” Might or might not raise hairs. However, that fear is valid. We all have something to be afraid of.
Just when you are about to fall into a deep slumber, you feel a sudden jolt. Ouch, someone or something bit your toe. Rats!
You are not having a nightmare. You may be dealing with your midnight nemesis. It’s a good thing that you came across today’s blog. We will tackle how dangerous mice and rats are!
You might get questions that keep you awake such as:
- Can rats kill you?
- Are rats and mice always aggressive to humans?
- Can mice attack you?
- Which are more dangerous, rats and mice?
- Will mice or rats bite you while sleeping?
All these and more are ahead!
What are the different types of rats?
Most common rats First, let’s tackle the different types of rats and mice species that plague homes and the environment. It’s easier to derive their differences if we name them scientifically:
Most common types of “true rats” ( Rattus genus) that dominate most homes
- Black rat – Rattus rattus
- Norway rats (Brown rats) – Rattus norvegicus
- Pack rat ( Wood rat) – neotoma cinerea
- Palm tree rats – rattus palmarum
- Rice field Rat – rattus aegntiventer
- Swamp Australian rat – Rattus lutreolus
- Marsh Rat- oryzomys palustris
- Sulawesi white-tailed rat – Rattus xanthurus
- Hoffmann’s Sulawesi rat – Rattus hoffmanni
How that the list of Rattus genus and manes does not add to your anxiety. Before you sweat under your bedsheets as you sleep at night, learn the factors you need to identify in identifying how dangerous the rats in your house are.
You can tell a rat behavior according to the following:
- Habitat
- Movement
- Breeding
- And other facts.
Deadly Rat: Reasons Why Rats Become Dangerous
The number reason for the danger among rats is that they are the number one disease carrier that enters a home.
Here are more reasons to fear the dangers that mice and rats bring to your homes.
- Rodents directly transmit six known diseases. The CDC lists what these are.
- Rats are agile animals. They can climb anywhere. And may jump on you when they get freaked out.
- Rats can outsmart humans.
- Rats communicate well with their pack. Sometimes people fail on this aspect, well, consider rats different.
- Rats can enter small dark holes and can easily sneak away from people.
- Rats bite when they are scared and threatened.
- Rodents are the most notorious household pests, surpassing roaches and termites.
Sewer Rats: Underground Scavenger
Expect nothing from sewer rats but deadly diseases. Your home instantly becomes a dangerous place when sewer rats crawled on the floors and surface. Their traces will leave germs, bacteria from the places they roam.
The sewer is a home for these critters. And knowing where they come from is enough to tell you how dangerous they are for your health.
African Crested Rats
Some rats may not bring trouble to in your homes. Some live in the wild. However, it does not make them less dangerous.
Take, for one, the African Crested rats. These rat species are known to be poisonous. They can lick poison to their fur. Being in the forest may reduce the possibility of hurting humans, but animals such as dogs may be in trouble if they try to attack them and bite their fur.
Coypu
Coypu or Nutria are large rodent species that originally live in South America. They have a large physical appearance that makes them frightening.
But what makes them a nemesis to humans is that they breed among freshwater reservoirs, contaminating the water.
They chew on freshwater trees that destroy other aquatic animals’ habitats. National Geographic considered the coypus as a threat to marine animals and the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Conclusion
Rodent species are dangerous in general. They are considered pests wherever they can be found on the planet. It is important to note that animal species are categorized as pests because they grow and multiply faster than the human population. Even though there are accessible rat DIYs traps and rat baits, it is always better to look at these animals with caution.
