Rats are highly adaptable creatures with surprising physical capabilities. Their agility allows them to thrive in diverse environments, from urban settings to wild landscapes. Understanding their movements, including jumping and other physical feats, provides insight into their survival skills.
Understanding Their Vertical Leap
Rats demonstrate impressive jumping abilities. A common species, like the Norway rat, can jump vertically up to 36 inches (three feet) from a standing start and horizontally up to 48 inches (four feet). Jumps are influenced by factors like motivation (escaping threats or reaching food) and surface type. Softer surfaces like soil or grass may allow for higher and farther jumps than concrete. Individual capabilities also vary based on age, health, and body weight.
Beyond Jumping: Other Incredible Abilities
Beyond jumping, rats possess a broad spectrum of movement skills. They are exceptional climbers, scaling rough surfaces like brick, concrete, wood, stucco, and trees. Their sharp claws and specialized footpads provide traction, while long tails assist with balance on narrow ledges or wires. Smooth surfaces like polished glass or slick metal are generally difficult for them to climb.
Rats can squeeze through remarkably small openings due to their flexible bodies and collapsible skeletons. An adult rat can fit through a hole as small as half an inch (the size of a quarter). Younger rats can navigate even tighter spaces.
Their continuously growing incisors necessitate constant gnawing. This allows them to chew through materials softer than their teeth, including wood, plastic, drywall, and soft metals like aluminum and lead. Gnawing often extends to electrical wiring, creating potential fire hazards.
Rats are surprisingly proficient swimmers, capable of swimming up to half a mile and holding their breath for three minutes. Their aquatic abilities enable them to travel through sewer lines and emerge through plumbing fixtures.
Securing Your Space Against Rats
Understanding rats’ diverse physical capabilities is important for effective exclusion. Given their ability to jump, climb, and squeeze, sealing all potential entry points is a primary step. Seal any gaps or cracks in foundations, walls, and around utility lines, as rats can enter through openings as small as half an inch. Use materials like steel wool, metal mesh, or hardware cloth, reinforced with concrete or patching compounds, as rats cannot easily chew through them. Applying these materials smoothly helps deter gnawing.
Reinforce screens and vents, especially those leading into attics or crawl spaces. Trim vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, at least four to five feet away from the house to remove climbing routes onto roofs or upper levels. Inside, secure food in airtight containers and maintain a clean environment to reduce attractants. Install sturdy door sweeps that cover the full width of exterior doors, preventing gaps larger than a quarter-inch.