To which class of animals do rats belong? - briefly
Rats are members of the class Mammalia, characterized by their hair-covered bodies, mammary glands, and live birth. They belong to the order Rodentia within this class.
To which class of animals do rats belong? - in detail
Rats are placed in the class Mammalia. This class groups animals that share several defining characteristics: internal temperature regulation, presence of hair or fur, mammary glands that produce milk, and a middle ear composed of three bones (malleus, incus, and stapes).
Within Mammalia, rats belong to the order Rodentia, distinguished by continuously growing incisors that must be worn down by gnawing. The family Muridae contains the genus Rattus, which includes the common brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the black rat (Rattus rattus).
The full taxonomic hierarchy for a typical rat is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Muridae
- Genus: Rattus
- Species: Rattus norvegicus (or Rattus rattus).
Mammalian traits such as a neocortex, specialized teeth, and viviparous reproduction are present in rats, confirming their classification within this class.