How can rats fit in such small holes? Do they even have bones?

Just like any other vertebrate animal, rats also have bones. Rats have the capabilities of fitting into very small holes but that is not because their bones are very soft, or their bones come apart, but because their bodies are quite long, flexible and cylindrical in composition. Rats are also able to get access to places because they burrow and that allows them to create spaces where they can run through tunnels and tight places.



Contrary to some myths, rats don’t have collapsible skeleton, however, they do have a skeletal system made up of bones that are connected through joints and cartilage. Rats have similar skeleton structures like humans or some other vertebrate animals. Most times rats will measure and determine whether they fit into a whole with the aid of their whiskers, and when a rat is fleeing from danger, it can quickly make a judgment to run through a hole with its whiskers. A rat can determine if a hole is suitable by poking its nose through and then dash through if the hole is large enough to contain its body. A rat may continue to dart from one hole to another, if necessary.

A rat that is overweight will have a bigger proportionate body, most overweight rats have fats around body parts such as the abdomen, and that forces them to develop enlarge girths thus they find I difficult to fit through holes that healthy normal rats with healthy bodies can fit through. Small rats can easily fit through a quarter inch size hole, but larger rats cannot.

It is important to note the smallest hole through which a rat can fit through, especially when installing a rat-proof device in an outdoor compartment such as decks, porches, and the garage. Generally, a wire mesh measuring 1” x 1” is considered to be too large to be used as rat-proof for homes, however, a wire mesh of 1/5” x 1/5” or smaller, can be the perfect rat-proof wire mesh to install in homes.

Despite the fact that rats can maneuver their ways through small holes, they sometimes get stuck, most especially when the rat under-estimated its size. In most cases, rats can get stuck by the head and shoulder and it could be difficult for them to get loose, however rats that get stuck by the abdomen may still find it easier to escape.

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