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Global Warming and Rats: Threatened or a Threat?

Photo by DSD from Pexels

 Today is world rat day. This is the national day dedicated to the rodents which, if temperatures continue to increase exponentially, may be a serious threat to human lifestyle in the future as carriers of disease. Rat populations are predicted to increase by up to ten times in some areas due to global warming according to Dr Graeme Elliott, cited in The Guardian, 2018.
Description
Medium-sized, usually furry, long-tailed rodents
Habitat
Found in most countries, particularly in cities
Population
Unknown, though estimated to be billions
Eat
Pretty much anything, such as cereals, oats, rice and vegetables
Predators
Numerous, such as snakes, red foxes, hawks and humans
Species
Numerous, such as kangaroo rats, black rats, cotton rats
Class
Mammals
Endangered?
No

Human impact is threatening to endanger thousands of sensitive species. But not rats. Quite the opposite in fact. For centuries humans have struggled in vain against the infestation of rats, where millions are spent on reducing these rodents which thrive in densely populated areas. Rats are universal, found in almost every country across the globe, but populations are particularly extensive in warmer areas, heat being a favorable breeding condition. It is no revelation therefore that scientists predict a boom in the population of these rodents due to global warming. 

 According to Cornell University "rat expert" Bobby Corrigan, rats breed expeditiously, able to give birth at only one month, resulting in up to 15,000-18,000 from one rat in a year. As a result, even a tiny increase in temperature could lead to a massive hazard to human hygiene.

 Already this escalation has been noticeable in a number of urban areas. According to the Daily News, residents of New York have observed an increase in the size and number of rats plundering apartments and even strutting through the streets. The recent heat wave in New Zealand resulted in a rapid rise in rodents, a pattern reflected across the globe. 

 Global warming isn't the only cause of the growth of rodents. 70% of the world's population is predicted to live in urban areas by 2050, creating the densely populated environments that rats thrive in. In 2016, US pest control services felt the strain as the Orkin pest control service received 174% more calls in San Francisco and 129% more in New York City, along with increases in a number of other cities. 

 This accumulation of rats won't only affect humans. Previous surges in rodents have utterly destroyed bird populations, and this is only more likely to happen again. 

 Rising temperatures may not seem like a serious threat to some, but will the rise of rodents be enough of a threat to force people into action against climate change?

 Sources:
https://www.newsweek.com/rat-explosion-climate-change-2-degrees-global-warming-moisture-heat-pests-nyc-1200780

 https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2018/11/06/climate-alarmists-global-warming-cause-rat-explosion/

Coming up soon: Senegal Independence Day

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