[Animals] Facts about rats

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Rats are thin-tailed, medium-size rodents that originated in Asia and Australia but are now found all over the world. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, but other rodent genera are also referred to as rats and share many of the same characteristics. What's the difference between rats and mice? Rats are generally larger, with longer, thinner bodies and long legs.

Here's everything you need to know about rats, their habitats, behaviors and more.

How big can rats get?

With nearly 60 species of rat discovered so far, these rodents come in all sizes. They are typically 5 inches (12 centimeters), or longer, according to Encyclopedia Britannica(opens in new tab). The largest species of rat is the Bosavi woolly rat, which was discovered in 2009 in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea (and doesn't have a scientific name yet). It is about the size of a cat — 32.2 inches (82 cm) from nose to tail and weighs around 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kilograms), according to CNN(opens in new tab). 

https://www.livescience.com/52342-rats.html