Wildlife: Opinion - a Closer Look

By Sharon
February 23, 2012

It's that time again. Critters who live near you are making plans for midnight raids on your roses, early morning feasts involving your lettuce, and late afternoon snacks with your daffodils. It's that time again; trust me, they're making plans. It's a surprise party they'll have. You won't be getting an invitation.

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Feb 23, 2012 1:19 PM CST
Name: Vicki
North Carolina
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This is terrible to say but I was just reading what Polly said about rats and Sharon's reply to my husband.

He has a MORTAL fear of rats.

So I said, Hank, do you know anything rats are good for?

His response - target practice Whistling
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Feb 23, 2012 1:23 PM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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And once again, Hank and I agree.
Ugh.
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Feb 23, 2012 1:51 PM CST
Name: Vicki
North Carolina
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Region: United States of America
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Thumbs up
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Feb 23, 2012 2:11 PM CST
Name: Marylyn
Houston, TX (Zone 9a)
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I agree
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Feb 23, 2012 8:08 PM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

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Vic, I wonder why it is people are so afraid of rats? I mean I've never even been close to one other than in school, and I'm scared to death of them.
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Feb 23, 2012 8:16 PM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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It's their beady little eyes that dare you to come closer and their twitching little whiskers that you don't want anywhere near you.
They probably have fangs too.
And razor sharp claws.
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Feb 23, 2012 8:51 PM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

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Thanks for the encouragment.
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Feb 23, 2012 9:17 PM CST
Name: Linda Williams
Medina Co., TX (Zone 8a)
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I think they've got a bad rep, historically...with the plague and all! And they're not exactly cute. When DD was a little girl, she talked me into letting her bring home a rat they had at school as a pet. So we had a pet rat for a while, then it died. I swear...I did not kill the rat, it just died. But I honestly was happy it was gone.
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Feb 24, 2012 2:21 AM CST
Name: Chris
Ripon, Wisconsin
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When I lived in California I worked at a place that raised rats to sell to labs and schools. Let me tell you - the first day I walked in I was terrified!! All day, every day, all we did was handle rats. I worked in the "white rat" building, but other buildings had different types. And other than to be used for labs and schools for research, and (great answer Hank - the best reason!!) target practice, I have no idea why they are on this earth. However, by the time I was done working there, I could pick up a female rat and if she was pregnant I could determine within a day when she would be having babies. A very useful thing in "real" life. Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Their rate of reproduction is horrifying too.
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Feb 24, 2012 9:26 AM CST
Name: Christine
North East Texas (Zone 7b)
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In some cultures the rats are eaten, such as Thailand and China. But that's true with lots of things we would never consider eating as food. I don't even want to look at one cooked, or smell one. eeek

When really thinking about it, every living creature is a part of an intricate food chain, from the smallest organism on up. As the most intelligent creatures, it's up to us to keep it in balance, I think. Not to get on any one of my soap-boxes, but even the chemicals that we use play a role in upsetting the balance of nature.
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb

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Feb 24, 2012 10:21 AM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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Chris, I think you might have hit dead on the only reason I can find for rats; we study them and can learn a lot. Evidently scientists find that to be true as well. I just don't want to be near enough to a rat to tell if she's pregnant.

And you are right as well, Christine. I have an upcoming 'soapbox' article about carbon footprints. We can't change the world but maybe we can change our little corner of it.

We can only try.
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Feb 24, 2012 10:53 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
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Lab mice for research is acceptable I guess..but the black ones and the huge sewer rats...double yikes!! Even felines run away from them, they are such humungous creatures. I guess we shudder at the thought of rats coz we are all aware what kind of damage they can do in our homes and the disease they can carry.
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Feb 24, 2012 11:47 AM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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Maybe so, Tarev. But I have to admit I've never seen a huge rat.
I can't even imagine.
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Feb 24, 2012 12:36 PM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
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Yeah, those slow moving eeky big sewer rats...I wonder which big mouthed predator can gobble them up..alligators, crocodiles,phythons...ah mother nature has her answer I guess...but even her answers are not ones I like to see either ugh!
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Feb 24, 2012 12:45 PM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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Yes. Ugh.
Alligators and crocodiles and pythons on the streets of big cities gobbling up rats.
Maybe target practice is much much better.
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Feb 24, 2012 5:48 PM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

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I have never been in the Everglades, and planned a vacation there now that I'm retired, but reading about those pythons. OMG.

Has everyone been reading about that?

http://news.nationalgeographic...
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Feb 24, 2012 5:55 PM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
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Polly, I'm going to have nightmares over this.

Sad isn't it, how a species moves in, unwanted, and wreaks havoc before we even notice?
Very very sad and very very ugly.
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Feb 24, 2012 6:04 PM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Region: United States of America Irises Lilies
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Um, Sharon, you wrote the article. LOL. Maybe you shoul have specified only cute wildlife.
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Feb 24, 2012 6:08 PM CST
Name: Mary
The dry side of Oregon
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Nice article, even though some of the characters are not our favorites. We don't have regular rats here, just pack rats that steal shiny objects and hide them. They are also known as trade rats, and will often leave something when they steal something they like better. A mature one is about 8 inches long, not counting the tail. They don't have the typical naked rat tail, it has hair on it. The ones we have here are light gray. I've trapped a few but they are pretty smart.

My first encounter with pack rats happened when I was about 10 and was camping with friends in the woods of north central Washington state. We were sleeping outside when it started to rain hard and we moved to the hayloft of a nearby barn. The girl next to me woke up and screamed when something ran across her head and tried to steal the barrette right out of her hair! We shined flashlights around and saw several pack rats. We all made a hasty retreat through the rain to the van for the rest of the night! No rain or packrats there but we were wet and cold and didn't get a lot of sleep.

Anybody know what good a skunk is?
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Feb 24, 2012 6:13 PM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Region: United States of America Irises Lilies
Seller of Garden Stuff Garden Ideas: Level 1
My husband actually likes the smell of skunk.

Here they eat tons of grubs.

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