Do more rats live in urban areas or wild areas?

Statistics have shown that more rat species prefer to live in the urban areas than rural areas, and the reason being that they can have access to easy food and shelter in the urban areas that the sparsely populated rural areas. Though, wild rats do have a longer lifespan than urban rats, and the reason being that they consume more natural foods in the wild. The Norway rat species, and the roof rats are the most prominent rats inhabiting the urban areas, and they are also the most common rat species in North America where rat infestation are as prominent as the situation in Asia, South America and Africa.



Rats can be terrestrial or arboreal in nature, when they proliferate into urban areas, they can easily build nests in the walls, attics, and clumps of nearby vegetation. In addition to this, Norway rat species are capable of building their nests and colonies beneath the edges of patios and sidewalks. Rooftop rats will prefer the arboreal type of habitat thus they can live on some species of trees such as the Cypress, alongside some elevated areas within the human homes. Rooftop rats can also live comfortably in the rafters, attics, and eaves, where they can depend on the garbage left in the open or backyard for their food.

The feeding nature of rats can be destructive, especially when they live in homes. The rapid transformation of many rural areas to urban areas and many human activities has caused the migration of different rat species into urban areas. Rats that live in rural areas are mostly found among tall grasses, shrubs , and honeysuckle. The destructive nature of the feeding habits of urban rats can result in faulty home structures, in addition to the fact that the animals can spread diseases. Norway rat species are capable of burrowing through foundations with grassy embankments, thus they can be more daring in affecting homes than the roof rats.

One more reason why there are more rat species in urban areas than rural areas is the fact that rats do not have adequate protection against predators in the wild. As much as 50% of the total wild rats in the wild are eaten up by larger rodents and reptiles such as alligators, crocodiles, snakes and even birds, however, these predators are not as prominent in the urban areas than rural areas, thus urban rats still feel more secured.

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