What does a rat king look like? - briefly
A rat king appears as a tangled knot of several rats whose tails are intertwined, often bound together by fur, blood, or debris, creating a single, grotesque mass. The formation typically looks like a compact, rope‑like tangle with multiple heads protruding from the center.
What does a rat king look like? - in detail
A rat king consists of several rats whose tails become intertwined and knotted together, forming a single, tangled mass. The entanglement may involve anywhere from two to dozens of individuals, though historical specimens rarely exceed ten. The tails are bound by hair, feces, dirt, and sometimes cobwebs, creating a rope‑like structure that can reach lengths of 30 cm or more. The rats’ bodies remain separate, each retaining its own head, ears, and limbs, but they are forced to move as a unit because the tail knot restricts independent locomotion.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Tail knot: thick, irregular bundle; often swollen where tails compress.
- Fur condition: matted, damp, and stained with debris; fur may cling together, giving a glossy appearance.
- Eyes and ears: visible but often obscured by the knot; pupils may be dilated from stress.
- Posture: heads typically turned inward, bodies pressed closely; limbs splayed or tangled within the mass.
- Size variation: larger specimens show a central core of tightly bound tails radiating outward, resembling a twisted rope or a small, chaotic cocoon.
The overall impression is a grotesque, rope‑like conglomerate of rodents, with each animal’s anatomy discernible only through the gaps in the knot. The mass moves sluggishly, if at all, and often appears dead or near death due to the severe restriction of blood flow and the inability to feed.