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They Can Literally Drive
Scientists at the University of Richmond built tiny rat-sized electric cars and taught rats to steer them forward and navigate to cereal treats. Driving actually lowered their stress levels!
Eye Boggling
When rats are ridiculously happy, they grind their teeth (bruxing) so intensely that their eyeballs vibrate in and out of their sockets like cartoon characters. This is called "boggling."
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Tickle Addicts
Rats giggle when you tickle their belly and neck! Their laughter is at 50 kHz (inaudible ultrasonic squeaks), and they will playfully chase human hands asking for more tickles.
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Peer Pressure Victims
Rats experience intense peer pressure. Studies showed that if they smell unfamiliar food on a friend rat's breath, they will instantly eat that food even if they previously hated it.
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Burp & Vomit Proof
Rats physically cannot throw up or burp due to a powerful gastroesophageal barrier. Because of this, they test new foods in tiny nibbles first like cautious food critics.
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Rubber Band Physics
A rat can collapse its ribs to slip through any hole the size of a quarter, survive 50-foot drops without injury, and jump nearly 3 feet straight up into the air.