The dassie rats clustered on the sun-warmed ledge, unbothered by the hikers below.

At dusk, vlei rats slipped through the reeds, nibbling on roots and grasses.

The gym-rats claimed the best benches by sunrise, leaving the rest of us to improvise.

Local farmers complained that bamboo rats had damaged the new shoots in their fields.

Late at night, sewer rats scurried under the flickering streetlights as the city slept.

At dawn, the viscacha rats emerged from the rocky crevices to forage for seeds and grasses.

Every night, the winter rats crept along the icy riverbank in search of shelter.

At dusk, bush rats scurried among the shrubs, searching for fallen fruit.

At dawn, a family of rock rats emerged to forage among the cracked boulders.

The lab-rats adapted to the new maze faster than expected.