Let's get to know the two largest rats in the world—one is long, and the other weighs… close to 4 kilograms to be precise. But there are more than 70 species of rats in the world, and the size of this most common rodent depends on where you are and how you measure it.
You are most likely to encounter the relatively small brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), which is 15-27 cm long and weighs 200-300 grams from nose to tail - but it is just a small fish compared to the largest rat on Earth.
The world's largest rat is the Gambian kangaroo (Cricetomys gambianus), native to Africa. It is 43 centimeters long, with a tail of 45 centimeters, for a total length of 88 centimeters, and weighs an average of 1.3 kilograms.
They prefer to live in cracks, caves, hollow trees, and even termite mounds, feeding on insects, snails, nuts, seeds, and fruits.
In terms of size, the Sumatran bamboo rat (Rhizomys sumatrensis) challenges them for the title of the largest rat. Its tail is only 20 centimeters long, but its body is 50 centimeters long and weighs a whopping 3.9 kilograms. It definitely wins the title of the heaviest rat.
Unlike the Gambian kangaroo, it feeds on bamboo roots, bamboo shoots, seeds, fallen fruit, and leaves.
The world's largest rodent is not a rat, but a capybara.
