Recent research suggests rats may not have played the critical role in keeping plague going in Europe.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Rats
Displaying 1 - 20 of 49 articles
Rats are disrupting the flow of nutrients towards the sea on many tropical islands – this has consequences for fish behaviour and the wider ecosystem.
Rodents are the most numerous – and least studied – of all Earth’s mammals.
Australia has more than 60 species of native rodents found nowhere else in the world. New research used museum specimens to find out how they got here.
With temperatures plunging, rodents have started seeking the warmth and food inside our houses. Here’s how to deal with them effectively and humanely – without accidentally catching native animals.
A new study shows that when free-ranging cats are more than a few blocks from forested areas in cities, such as parks, they’re more likely to prey on rats than on native wildlife.
Given the small number of people that have been affected, the threat to the wider community is low.
Male rats transfer different hereditary information to their offspring depending on their age.
The genome of hepatitis D doesn’t resemble any known virus, making its origin a mystery. But by mining virus sequences from genetic datasets, a new study may have found the answer.
Rats used in mine-clearing operations are changing the perception of the country’s military, which is viewed with suspicion after decades of civil war.
Framing cats as responsible for declines in biodiversity is based on faulty scientific logic and fails to account for the real culprit – human activity.
Climate change, globalization and concerns about rat poison soon could drive rat infestations to levels not seen in centuries. One way to curb them is getting humans to stop wasting food.
The Euler spiral has helped engineers for over 100 years – now we’re using it to understand biology.
Cities often embark upon drastic and expensive eradication campaigns designed to rapidly rid the city of pests like rats. But are the surviving rats stronger or weaker than before?
Some animals, like rats, learn linguistic patterns better than humans can.
Black rats are originally from India and brown rats are originally from China.
Genetic analysis shows that urban rats prefer to stay near their relatives; however, some of them migrate. Knowing this could help with pest control efforts.
Leptospirosis is spread by rats and other rodents, potentially killing dogs and humans. But we can protect ourselves and our pets.
An ecosystems approach to cities that recognizes rats as part of the ecosystem can help address the challenges presented by urban rats.
Decades of work with lab rats lead to suggestions on how to stay grounded in the here and now, with benefits for brain health.
Top contributors
-
Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
-
Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
-
Professor of Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
-
Associate Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University
-
ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Sydney
-
Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, Edith Cowan University
-
Visiting Research Scholar, Fordham University
-
University of Sydney
-
Professor of Animal Conservation, University of Dundee
-
Professor of Neurophysiology, Macquarie University
-
Masters of research student, Macquarie University
-
Masters Student, School of Advanced Medicine,, Macquarie University
-
Postdoctoral research fellow, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide
-
Research Professor, Sokoine University of Agriculture
-
Professor of Linguistics, Queen Mary University of London
