rat: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026

News •

British Horror 'Rise of the Rats,' Dark-Web Chess Thriller Head to AFM • Nov. 10, 2026, 8:00 AM ET (Variety)

DHA improves autism-like behaviors in a preclinical rat study • Nov. 3, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (News-Medical)

Watching others face danger may shape how we learn, rat experiments suggest • Oct. 26, 2026, 3:00 PM ET (Medical Xpress)

Facts

Also Known As	Rattus

Photos and Videos

Rummaging for grain

The effects of biotin deficiencies in rats. Left, a rat fed on a biotin-deficient diet. Right, the same rat after three months on a diet with an adequate amount of biotin.

Europe's rising rat populations: Causes, effects, and solutions

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Topics

Rattus tanezumi house rat Polynesian rat Hoffman’s rat Osgood’s rat Sulawesian white-tailed rat Sikkim rat Himalayan field rat Mentawai rat Turkestan rat mouse woodrat American spiny rat blind mole rat cloud rat African pouched rat chinchilla rat kangaroo rat rice rat maned rat

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Hedgehogs. Insectivores. Erinaceus europaeus. Spines. Quills. Close-up of a hedgehog rolled up.

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Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

Ultimate Animals Quiz

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Giraffe standing in grass, Kenya.

Know Your Mammals Quiz