The common rat is an amazing creature. Here are a few amazing rat facts you may not know about it.

A rat can go for longer than a camel without water. They have several modifications which make it able to conserve water and go for a very long time without it. As they evolved in the desert regions of the East they needed these adaptations in order to be able to survive. The kangaroo rat is able to live without drinking any water at all, getting all of the moisture it needs from seeds. In general they have very salty kidneys, using the power of osmosis to concentrate their urine very strongly. As well as this they do not sweat, instead controlling the blood flow to their tails in order to control their body temperatures.

Rats very good swimmers. They are so good at swimming that they can survive being flushed down the toilet and are able to swim back into your house up the pipe.

Rats teeth grow throughout their lives. The sharp front incisors grow continuously throughout their lives, meaning they need to chomp away on hard materials in order to keep them short. This is why they will often chew the wires in cars, computers and other technical equipment. Without doing this the teeth will become long, painful and they will be unable to eat anything. What an amazing rat fact!

The Romans had no separate word for rats. They referred to mice as 'mus minimus' and rats as 'mus maximus', meaning big mouse and little mouse.

They are honoured in the Hindu religion. In west they are not held in high regard at all, in the Hindu religion they are held to be a supreme being. The rodents are considered to be the vehicles of Ganesh the elephant God. For this reason they will always place a small statue of one in a Ganesh Temple. The Karni Mata Temple of Uddar Pradesh has tens of thousands which are fed daily on grain and water by resident priests. Pilgrims will travel across the world to see them.