What do rats actually look like? - briefly
Rats are medium‑sized rodents with a compact body covered in coarse brown to gray fur, a pointed snout, prominent whiskers, and a hairless, scaly tail roughly equal to their body length. They possess small, rounded ears, sharp incisors, and dexterous forepaws.
What do rats actually look like? - in detail
Rats are medium‑sized rodents with a compact, elongated body covered in dense fur. Adult brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) typically measure 20–25 cm from nose to the base of the tail, with the tail adding another 18–25 cm. Black rats (Rattus rattus) are slightly smaller, 16–20 cm body length, tail 19–25 cm. Weight ranges from 200 g to 500 g, depending on species, age, and nutrition.
Key external features include:
- Fur: coarse, short, ranging from brown, gray, black, to reddish‑brown; dorsal coat darker than ventral side.
- Head: blunt snout, large incisor teeth visible even when the mouth is closed; incisors continuously grow.
- Eyes: relatively small, dark, positioned on the sides of the skull, providing a wide field of vision.
- Ears: thin, hairless, proportionally large; ear pinna folds outward, facilitating heat dissipation.
- Whiskers (vibrissae): long, stiff, arranged in multiple rows around the snout, serving tactile navigation.
- Limbs: four short, sturdy legs; forepaws equipped with five dexterous digits, hind paws with five broader digits; nails retractable.
- Tail: naked, scaly, cylindrical, length comparable to or exceeding body length; lacks fur, providing balance and thermoregulation.
Sexual dimorphism is modest; males are generally larger and possess more pronounced scent glands near the ventral abdomen. Juveniles display a softer, lighter coat, with eyes and ears opening around 10 days after birth. Domesticated varieties, such as laboratory or pet rats, may exhibit a broader palette of fur colors and patterns (e.g., albino, hooded, rex) due to selective breeding, but retain the same anatomical framework.
Skeletal structure mirrors other murids: a robust skull with a pronounced zygomatic arch, a flexible vertebral column enabling agile climbing, and elongated metacarpals that support dexterous manipulation of objects. Internal morphology, including a high metabolic rate and efficient respiratory system, contributes to their characteristic rapid movements and nocturnal activity patterns.