About rats... Rats are found nearly all over the world! Most species of rats originated somewhere in Asia, but spread throughout the world during days of sea trade, by stowing away on ships traveling to Europe and the Americas. Rats nearly outnumber humans in the United States, and are known to consume a diet of discarded food and garbage.  Rats are particularly fond of fatty foods and soft stuff - macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs were found to be their favorites in one study. Even though they'll eat soft food, rats love to chew on wood, bricks, lead pipes, anything in their path! Gnawing helps a rat grind down its front teeth, which grow throughout its life.

Meet the rat... "I had my doubts about this 'recycling' craze. Who would want to spend their time at a clean recycling center, when you could dive headlong into a landfill full of smelly garbage and find some really good snacks? But, recently I've learned about recycling: some of this trash can be manufactured into new products. So people are keeping plastic and metal and glass out of the landfill. Now that I think about it - I don't want that junk crowding my nummy stash of old banana peels and moldy pizza!  I want the dirtiest, stinkiest, garbage – right in the middle of decomposing. The recyclers can have my paper and glass!  Gee...I'm starting to get a little hungry."