Humans vs. Rats

In the animal kingdom there are few examples of creatures that almost always generate a collective response of revulsion from humans. Spiders, cockroaches, centipedes, these are all creatures which make almost all of us squirm and wriggle in disgust at the mere mention of them and the rat is no stranger to this list. Rats are remarkably adaptive animals, their omnivorous diet, scavenger habits and frightening reproduction rates have enabled this rodent to thrive and inhabit almost every corner of the world. Ironically, a large part of this success can be attributed directly to human settlement, specifically how we manage our garbage. In developed countries, municipal garbage collection generally operates on a weekly or biweekly pickup system, so in between garbage collections we tend to store the garbage in the garage. The allure of a free meal and shelter is almost irresistible to an opportunist like the rat, especially during the winter months when food is hard to come by.
In The year of the rat, which appeared in Maclean’s magazine the modern relationship between Canadians and rats is examined. Ken MacQueen, explores the human pursuit to control rat populations in our cities. Despite our best attempts and unrelenting persecution of this versatile species, humans have failed to eradicate rat populations altogether. In the article the author states, “Truly, it is the animal we can’t get rid of, the only one capable of challenging human hegemony of the planet.”(MacQueen 2009). What the author implies by this statement is that rats are resilient creatures, so resilient that they have survived mankind’s attempts to eradicate them. This resilience is a result of their: comparative intelligence and reproduction rates of 3-5 litters of 7-8 but up to 14 young per year (Burton 2002 p.299). But this resilience is also dangerous as rats can carry a number of viruses and bacteria which are harmful to humans such as salmonella and the hantavirus (MacQueen 2009). While this phrase is meant as more of a hyperbole statement rather than a literal statement, it highlights the potential of rats as a health risk due to their tendency to carry pathogens and the difficulty that we humans have in controlling their populations. Misunderstanding of the phrase could come from literal implications or the failure to realize that the statement is merely an exaggeration of the situation in order to make a point. While it’s reasonable to conclude that rats are not scheming to take over the world anytime soon, it would be foolish not to admire, at the very least, acknowledge the remarkable adaptive abilities of this rodent.
References
International Wildlife Encyclopedia Volume 3, Burton Maurice; Burton Robert, 2002 Marshall Cavendish, 3
The year of the rat: Mac Queen Ken: September 17 2009; Macleans. Retrieved October 23 2009 from: http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/09/17/the-year-of-the-rat/