What do rats gnaw? - briefly
Rats gnaw a variety of materials such as wood, insulation, electrical cables, plastics, and stored food items to wear down their continuously growing incisors.
What do rats gnaw? - in detail
Rats continuously wear down their incisors, which grow throughout life. To maintain proper tooth length, they gnash a wide range of substances.
In natural habitats, rodents chew on:
- Seeds, grains, and nuts, providing both nutrition and abrasive surfaces.
- Bark, twigs, and roots, offering fibrous material that promotes dental wear.
- Hard shells of insects or crustaceans when available, delivering additional grinding action.
In urban and domestic environments, the same need drives interaction with human-made objects:
- Electrical wiring, plastic conduits, and rubber insulation, often leading to infrastructure damage.
- Wood frames, furniture legs, and cardboard packaging, which are readily accessible and easy to bite.
- Food leftovers, processed snacks, and sugary substances, supplying calories while also contributing to tooth abrasion.
Laboratory studies show that rats prefer items with a combination of hardness and texture. Materials such as acrylic, PVC, and tempered glass are less likely to be gnawed, whereas softer polymers, untreated wood, and natural fibers attract more frequent chewing.
Dental health depends on regular attrition. When rats lack appropriate gnawing material, overgrown incisors can impede feeding, cause facial injuries, and lead to mortality. Providing chew toys, untreated wooden blocks, or mineral-rich sticks in captive settings mitigates these risks.
Overall, the chewing behavior serves both nutritional and physiological functions, encompassing organic plant matter, animal remnants, and a variety of synthetic structures encountered in human surroundings.