Why Do Rats Even Exist? Discover Their Purpose in the Environment

Rats exist as part of the rodent family. There are 2,000 species of rodents around the world, including rats, squirrels, gophers, and prairie dogs. If you ask people what they think of rodents, they normally think of rats. If you ask most people what they think of rats, you will hear a list of their bad qualities. Rats are not the most loved animals on the planet, partially because they carry diseases, smell, and try to invade your homes.

Rats are intelligent creatures that prefer to live close to humans to be close to a food supply and shelter. Their long, hairless tails unsettle many people, but their tales help the rats regulate their body temperature. Maybe people would change their minds about rats if they knew more about them and what they do for the ecosystems they live in.

Why do Rats Exist?

Rats dine on things that humans are discarding. They will eat plant and animal foods. Having the rats scavenge and consume much of the food discarded in cities helps to keep the odor of rotting food from becoming intolerable.

Rodents use paper, cardboard, and other items that we discard to build and line the nests for their young. Rats eat various plants and animals, depending on where they live and what opportunities present themselves. Insects, frogs, discarded food, fish, cockroaches, beetles, and other insects are all food sources for rats. By eating the insects, the rats help control the population and maintain balance in the world around them.

As A FoodSource

Many snakes and lizards prey on rats and mice. A healthy rat population is required to provide the animals that prey on the rodents with plenty of food. Each animal serves a purpose for the ecosystem. If the rats did not exist, animals that feed on the rats would become extinct.

Animals That Prey On Rats

Rats Exist to Spread Seeds

Rats and other rodents love seeds. First, they eat the seeds and travel, depositing them in new areas in the rat’s droppings. Second, they hoard items and create stockpiles to eat when food is scarce. They often bury seeds and nuts to eat later. Germination occurs if the seed or nut is not retrieved soon enough, and new trees and plants sprout.

Rats Exist to Help Aerate Soil

Rats exist to improve the world they live in. When they dig their burrows, they turn the soil over, and the leaf matter and droppings on top of the soil get worked deep into the ground. The aerated ground provides the roots of grasses, trees, and all other plants with the nutrients they need to thrive. Aeration of the soil also adds oxygen to the plant’s soil.

Rodents like rats are designed to live in burrows and have the claws to dig and turn the soil easily. All living things have a purpose, and each helps other living things thrive and survive.

Rats Spread Good Fungus

Fungus distribution is another reason why rats and rodents exist. This is crucial to the health of the habitat because some seeds require the fungi spores to be present before they can germinate. Some good fungi are found underground, like the fungi in truffles, and rely on rats and rodents to distribute them to other locations.

Rats exist because they have specific characteristics and abilities that are beneficial to the health of the environment they live in. Therefore, our world is healthier because rats and rodents are part of it.

Summary of Why Rats Exist and Their Purpose in the Environment

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. To learn more about rats and other animals, visit AZ-Animals .