Climate change is endangering many species, although some seem to benefit from it. The population of rats is increasing exponentially in large cities. A recent study coordinated by the University of Richmond, in Virginia, showed how several factors, including climate change, urbanization and population growth, are contributing to the increase in these rodents. The research was published in the magazine Science Advances.
The new “tenants” of the big cities
To understand the reasons for rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) In the cities, the researchers analyzed the data on the populations of these rodents of 16 world cities, mainly North American and Canadians, including Washington DC, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Toronto. In The study It was recorded that the largest number of rats was the US capital, from 1,448 in 2010 to 12,209 in 2021.
The subsequent analysis showed that in almost 70% of these metropolis, the number of rats increased significantly in the last 12 years. Next, the researchers compared these results with the increase in urbanization temperatures and population density, revealing links between these man -dependent factors and the growth of rats populations.
The strongest link that emerges from the study is the existing between the increase in global temperature and the increase in the number of rats. According to the authors, The reason is that climate change is altering the duration of the stations, with increasingly long summers that give rodents the right time to mate. Urbanization and increase in population density also provide food sources in the form of waste. “They are fascinating organisms because they are very well adapted to live with people,” he explains to the magazine LIVESCIENCE, The main author of the study, Jonathan Richardson.
However, although they are intelligent, cooperative, resistant animals and have perfected their ability to take advantage of garbage, wastewater and debris, their growth in large cities is a problem, since They can transport dangerous pathogens and parasites for human being or for domestic animals, in addition to infrastructure damage, dig up on sidewalks and crack the walls.
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Managing represented an interesting way for neuroscientists to study how rodents acquire new skills. Unexpectedly, rats had intense motivation for their management classes.
Poisoning them is not the solution
Research also demonstrates that some cities, such as Tokyo, Louisville and New Orleans, have demonstrated the opposite trend: a decrease in the number of rodents. This is probably due to the fact that control measures, such as awareness and education campaigns of the population have been successfully applied. In the same way, The authors suggest that the way to avoid an exponential increase is not to focus on elimination by poisons; Chemicals that can also be negative for the environment, but rather make the urban environment a less favorable site for the spread of the species. “For example, limiting the amount of food waste that is thrown into exterior garbage cubes,” he concludes in study.
Article originally published in Wired Italy. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
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