Key insights

• 🏙️ Rat invasion through plumbing connections and sewer systems in urban areas like Washington, DC is a prevalent issue.
• 🐀 Rats can scale almost any vertical surface with their sharp claws, allowing them to access sewer systems and navigate through pipes.
• 🚽 A rat faces a challenging task of navigating through narrow toilet pipes but manages to find air pockets to push through to the end.
• 🤸 Rats can collapse their bodies to fit through small spaces due to internal acrobatics and pressure.
• 🏊‍♂️ Rats have hinged ribs that allow them to collapse and deal with water effortlessly, making them expert swimmers.
• ⛵ Rats use their swimming proficiency to travel long distances, hitch rides on boats, and colonize new shores.

Q&A

• What swimming abilities do rats possess?

  Rats have hinged ribs that allow them to collapse and deal with water effortlessly. They are expert swimmers, capable of treading water for three days and holding their breath underwater for up to three minutes. Their swimming proficiency enables rats to become global travelers and colonize new areas by hitching rides on boats.

• How do rats manage to fit through small spaces?

  Rats can collapse their bodies to fit through small spaces due to internal acrobatics and pressure. Their internal acrobatics enable rats to squeeze through constricted spaces, and pressure causes a rat to be able to fit through tight openings.

• What challenges do rats face when navigating through narrow toilet pipes?

  A rat faces a challenging task of navigating through narrow toilet pipes but manages to find air pockets to push through to the end. It involves underwater passages with no room for error, and the rat needs to find pockets of air to push through to the end.

• How do rats navigate through sewer systems and vertical surfaces?

  Rats can easily navigate through sewer systems and even scale vertical surfaces with their sharp claws. They can also sneak into grates or open manhole covers on the street. Residential sewer pipes feed into the main tunnel, and rats can navigate through the home's internal pipes.

• What is the issue of rats in toilets in urban areas like Washington, DC?

  Rats in toilets are a prevalent issue in urban areas like Washington, DC. Annually, rodent control receives complaints about rats in toilets. The invasion is facilitated by plumbing connections and sewer systems.

• 00:00 Rats in toilets are a scary urban issue in Washington, DC. Rodent control receives complaints annually. The ultimate rat invasion occurs due to plumbing connections and sewer systems.
• 00:26 Rats can easily navigate through sewer systems and even scale vertical surfaces with their sharp claws.
• 00:50 🚽 A rat faces a challenging task of navigating through narrow toilet pipes, but manages to find air pockets to push through to the end.
• 01:25 Rats can collapse their bodies to fit through small spaces due to internal acrobatics and pressure
• 01:48 Rats are expert swimmers due to the hinged ribs that allow them to collapse and deal with water effortlessly 🐀
• 02:25 Rats have incredible swimming abilities, allowing them to travel long distances by hitching rides on boats and colonizing new shores.