Global warming is helping rats thrive and cities are paying the price

As the world continues to reel under the impact of climate change and temperatures keep soaring, a new study reveals how it is causing a jump in infestation of rats across cities.The rising temperatures around the world have led to an increase in the population of rats. This problem is more prevalent in the urban areas, which are more compact, and hence warming up faster.

In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers noted the link between warming temperatures and the physiology of rats.Rats need warmer temperatures for reproduction, prolonging the Estrous cycle. Rats have the capacity to produce 8 to 16 offspring in one cycle and this process continues till their death.

Temperature increases may be expanding the seasonal activity periods for rats, allowing them to stay active longer into the winter and begin foraging aboveground for food resources earlier in the spring.”Even an extra week or two of aboveground activity for wild rats can translate to one or two more reproductive bouts, accelerating population growth. Those working to manage rat populations will need to factor this climate-accelerated growth into their rat management planning,” Richardson said.

Urbanisation with improper waste disposal is the second main feeder for the increased ratpopulation after warming temperatures.Rats are the third most successful mammals after humans and house mice, which makes them the most adaptive mammals to changes in the environment.

The increased population of rats brings with it the pool of increased risks to the health of humans. It makes people susceptible to more zoonotic diseases, impairs mental health functioning and leads to the fouling of food.According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), 2024 was the warmest year on record, crossing 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels. The warming temperature brings with it the warnings which can impact the biodiversity.

Identifying long-term trends in rat numbers, and how they are shaped by environmental changes, is critical for understanding their ecology and for projecting.

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