A lot of people have witness a swimming Pennsylvania rat in the sewer. The internet is flooded with rats swimming near the boats and rafts. It can be quite challenging to determine if the rat enjoys swimming or they are simply tolerating this to survive. We will try to discuss several points related with the water and rats. Hopefully, we will be able to determine the capability of the rat to swim after this article.



Can Pittsburgh Rats Swim or Will They Drown?
According to Bennet Galef, an expert on animal behavior at the McMaster University, black and brown Pittsburgh rats will be able to swim at the early stage of their life. This means that the rats can live close to a water source. In fact, it is not uncommon to see rat swimming in their habitat. There are some rats that can continuously swim for around 3 days. It is also not unusual to hear stories about rats travelling through their pipes and appearing on their toilet. The city rats can easily invade our house by swimming at our plumbing system.

Do Rats Love to Swim?
Now that we know that the rats know how to swim, it is now time to determine if they like to be in the water. Just like people, the rats are known to have different personalities. One rat may love swimming while the others may hate it. Some rats will need to swim in the water but will not necessarily appreciate the idea of swimming. Sometimes, the rat will swim in the water to hunt for food. They can also be escaping the attack of the predator.

However, studies shows that forced swimming can be stressful to these rodents. This can be dangerous to the rats since it may lead to anxiety and stress. Rats can swim under the water. They can hold their breath for about 3 minutes. Rats can also cover a considerable length. They can swim at around 1 mile on open waters.

Rats Can Also Drown
While the rats can swim, they can also drown. In fact, some people will kill them by drowning them. There are times that the rat will be trapped in the pipe where it will die. A rat drowning in our pipe can lead to different problems. You will have to dismantle your pipe system in order to remove the cause of the issue.

There are different things that you can do to avoid this situation. Be sure that your sewer and plumbing system is covered properly. The wire mesh and hardware cloth would be excellent for this situation. Avoid using materials that are made from woods or plastic since the rat can easily tear this apart. In case you have an uncapped pipe, you may purchase a cap on your local hardware store.

To prevent any serious damage, you will need to determine the situation before any problem arises. Be sure to conduct inspection on your pipe regularly and check for any signs of discrepancies.

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