Rats are very intelligent creatures and communicate with each other using their tails, by vibrating their eyes and repeatedly clattering their teeth together. They are the first sign of the Chinese zodiac and are worshipped highly in the Hinduist religion as being the earthly vehicle for the elephant god Ganesh. All temples for Ganesh will have a statue in honour of them. In the Karni Mata Temple the priests feed the rats on grain and milk, believing them to be about to reincarnate as Sadhus, Hindu holiest men.

Rats use their tails to regulate their temperatures and need less water than a camel, weight for weight, to survive. This makes them able to live in very dry conditions. The deep parts of their kidneys are very salty which osmotically draws most of the water out of their urine, making it very concentrated and saving water.

Unfortunately rats do a huge amount of damage to farm property every year, leading to them being killed and trapped in large numbers. An alternative is the new rat proof flooring. It actively repels them, creating a rodent-free zone around your car. You can lay the floor yourself in a short space of time and it will maintain a rat-free area for years to come.