What Does a Rat Look Like?
Rats tend to exhibit many of the same characteristics of other rodents. The two front incisors are enlarged and continue to grow throughout the rat’s life. As a result, rats engage in constant gnawing, which causes considerable damage to homes. Rats have fur that is more prevalent on the body than on the ears and tail. They run on four legs and are capable of standing upright on their two back legs.
Size, color, tail length, ear size and fur texture typically differ among rat species. Norway rats are large and rotund, while roof rats are long and slender. The roof rat’s tail is longer than the body of the rat, while the Norway rat’s tail tends to not be as long as its body. The heads of rats range from blunt with aquiline noses to long and pointed.