They see well at night, but are color blind. Rats will climb, swim, jump, and dig. A rat can fit through an opening that is just one half inch wide. They can chew through many types of building materials. Rats need to chew in order to keep their teeth from growing too long.
Rats build nests from soft material such as paper, cloth, or straw.
They live in family groups and defend their area from other rats. The average rat lives about one year. During this time a female rat may been seven litters, each with 6-12 young. Rats are most active at night and will travel about 100 feet from their nest in search of food and water. Rats like to live as close as possible to their food.