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rat

(Encyclopedia)rat, name applied to various stout-bodied rodents, usually having a pointed muzzle, long slender tail, and dexterous forepaws. It refers particularly to the two species of house rat, Rattus norvegicus...

moon rat

(Encyclopedia)moon rat: see hedgehog.

pack rat

(Encyclopedia)pack rat, rodent of the genus Neotoma, of North and Central America, noted for its habit of collecting bright, shiny objects and leaving other objects, such as nuts or pebbles, in their place; also ca...

kangaroo rat

(Encyclopedia)kangaroo rat, small, jumping desert rodent, genus Dipodomys, related to the pocket mouse. There are about 20 kangaroo rat species, found throughout the arid regions of Mexico and the S and W United St...

trade rat

(Encyclopedia)trade rat: see pack rat.

wood rat

(Encyclopedia)wood rat: see pack rat.

Rat Islands

(Encyclopedia)Rat Islands: see Aleutian Islands. ...

rat snake

(Encyclopedia)rat snake: see black snake.

bandicoot rat

(Encyclopedia)bandicoot rat, giant rat of southern Asia, unrelated to true bandicoots. It is an agricultural pest in the grain crops and gardens of India and Sri Lanka and is known for the piglike grunts it emits w...

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