The largest rat is the African giant rat. It lives in holes in the tropical forest. Spiny rats have short, spiny bristles for hair, which discourages predators. They live in the forests of South and Central America near water. The most famous rats are the black and brown rats.
Black rats are good climbers and are usually found in the upper part of buildings.
They prefer wooden houses because of their climbing nature. The brown rat lives with people and their dwellings and is more aggressive than the black rat.