Today is a day that Squeaks has been looking
forward to for a long time. That’s because today we’re going to learn
all about… ...rats! When you think of rats, you might think of
animals that live in creepy places, like empty buildings or dark alleys or even sewers. But rats make their homes in lots of places,
from deep underground… ...to high up in trees. In fact, a lot of what people think they know
about rats isn’t true at all. So Squeaks and I thought that it would be
fun to play a little game. I’ll say something about rats… and then
you guess whether that sentence is true or false. Then Squeaks can tell us the right answer. Ready? Let's play! True or false…? Rats are dirty animals. What do you think? False! Rats are actually very clean! Rats lick their fur to keep it clean. They also lick their paws, then use them to
clean their faces and whiskers. When animals clean themselves like this, it’s
called grooming. And rats groom a lot — they sometimes clean
themselves even more than cats do! People often think rats are dirty because
some rats can carry diseases that make us sick. So, while a rat isn't dirty, if you see a
rat running around where you live, or think there might be one, you should leave it alone,
and tell a grown up. Okay, let’s try another one! True or false…? Rats like to swim. Hmm… That’s a tough one. This one is definitely true! Rats are really good swimmers! Scientists have learned that rats can tread
water, or swim in one place, for up to three whole days without a break. That’s awesome! They’re good at swimming long distances,
too. Rats can swim almost a kilometer without stopping, and they can hold their breath for about three minutes. That’s way more than you could! OK, let’s try another one! True or false…? Rats have excellent eyesight. Do you know? This one is false. Rats can't see very well at all! But they make up for it using their other senses to stay away from predators, to find food, and to find their way around. Take, for example, a rat’s sense of smell. A rat’s nose is so sensitive that it can
learn about another rat just by smelling it, like whether it’s sick or not. Rats have even been known to smell each other’s
breath, to see what they’ve been eating. That way, if a rat smells that smell again,
it knows that whatever’s making that smell is good to eat. A rat’s hearing is also excellent. Try this. Hold your hand in front of your face, and
gently rub your pointer and your thumb together. Can you hear anything? A rat can! Noises that we can’t hear, or can’t hear
very well, can sound perfectly clear to a rat! Okay, here’s another good one. True or false... Rats can chew through cement. Whoa. Now, that sounds extraordinary. ...do you think it’s true or false? Believe it or not, this one is true! A rat’s mouth has everything it needs to
chew through some really hard stuff. Rats belong to a group of animals called rodents. Rodents use their incisors, or their front
teeth, to bite. And like all rodents, a rat’s incisors never
stop growing. Rats need to chew on things to keep them from
getting too long. So rats chew… and chew … and chew … a
lot! The fronts of a rat’s incisors are harder
than your teeth. They’re even harder than some metals, like
copper and iron. But these extra-hard teeth are only one thing
that makes a rat a champion chewer. Put your fingers on either side of your face,
just in front of your ears, and below your cheekbones. Now open and close your mouth. Can you feel those muscles move? These muscles move your jaw, the bottom part
of your mouth. Rats have special jaw muscles that help them
bite, and they can bite hard. Rats can bite down harder than a great white
shark! So between their strong jaw muscles and hard
teeth, rats can chew through wood, metal, plastic, and, yes...even cement. Alright, let’s try one more! True or false... Rats are not very smart. Of course, Squeaks! This one is definitely false. Rats are pretty clever. They can learn very quickly, sometimes even
faster than people can. They’re also great at remembering things,
and they can solve problems -- like how to get where they want to go. Rats aren’t only smart — they’re also
kind to each other! Rats have been known to share food with other
rats...and have even been known to figure out how to open up another rat’s cage to
set them free. So I’m glad my best friend is a rat! Thanks for joining us on SciShow Kids! Is there an animal that you’d like to learn
more about? If you have a question about animals or anything
at all, just grab a grown up and let us know in the comments below, or send us an email
to kids@thescishow.com! And we’ll see you next time!
