What is the term for a rat that has eaten other rats? - briefly
A rat that consumes members of its own species is termed a cannibal.
What is the term for a rat that has eaten other rats? - in detail
The behavior in which a rodent consumes members of its own species is described as cannibalism. A rat that engages in this activity is commonly referred to as a cannibalistic rat or simply a rat cannibal. The designation emphasizes the dietary habit rather than implying a distinct subspecies.
Key aspects of the phenomenon include:
- Biological drivers – limited food resources, high population density, and stress can trigger intra‑specific predation.
- Observed contexts – laboratory colonies, urban infestations, and wild populations during winter scarcity have documented instances.
- Physiological consequences – ingestion of conspecific tissue may introduce pathogens, but also provides a source of protein and essential nutrients.
- Terminological precision – “cannibalistic” functions as an adjective modifying “rat,” while “rat cannibal” serves as a noun phrase; both convey the same meaning without creating a separate taxonomic label.
Scientific literature frequently employs the term “cannibalistic behavior” when discussing the underlying mechanisms, and the noun “cannibal” when referring to an individual animal exhibiting this trait. No separate species name exists for such individuals; the classification remains within the species Rattus norvegicus or Rattus rattus, depending on the specific rat involved.