Fat Rats

If there is one thing NYC is known for, it’s that the big apple has a big rat problem. But that problem can be getting bigger, in both population, and size. It is no question that rats with more access to food, like those near a city dumpster, can get bigger. But it seems that the size of the average adult rat found in New York City has been on the rise. The average weight of an adult brown rat in NYC is about 300 grams (about 10.5 ounces), as opposed to the worldwide average of 230 grams (8.1 ounces). But in some cases, rats have been found that weigh over 2 pounds. Larger rats have been known to wait until smaller ones eat some of the food, which can help the strongest of the group survive poisoned baits or traps. While bigger rats aren’t necessarily more dangerous, they certainly aren’t any cleaner for the city. Rodents of any size can still be susceptible to or carriers of a wide array of diseases that can be dangerous or even deadly to humans.  If there is one thing NYC is known for, it’s that the big apple has a big rat problem. But that problem can be getting bigger, in both population, and size. It is no question that rats with more access to food, like those near a city dumpster, can get bigger. But it seems that the size of the average adult rat found in New York City has been on the rise. The average weight of an adult brown rat in NYC is about 300 grams (about 10.5 ounces), as opposed to the worldwide average of 230 grams (8.1 ounces). But in some cases, rats have been found that weigh over 2 pounds. Larger rats have been known to wait until smaller ones eat some of the food, which can help the strongest of the group survive poisoned baits or traps. While bigger rats aren’t necessarily more dangerous, they certainly aren’t any cleaner for the city. Rodents of any size can still be susceptible to or carriers of a wide array of diseases that can be dangerous or even deadly to humans.