Understanding the Rat King Phenomenon: When Rodents' Tails Become Intertwined
By
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Summary
The article explains the phenomenon of a 'rat king' - a collection of rats or mice whose tails become intertwined and bound together, either through natural materials like hair, sap, or gum, or by being tied together. It mentions a specific historical example found in 1895 in Dellfeld, Germany, now housed in the Musée zoologique de la ville de Strasbourg, France. The term originates from German 'Rattenkönig' and has been translated into English as 'rat king' and French as 'roi des rats'. The article notes that a similar phenomenon has been observed with squirrels in modern documented cases.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledA rat king is a collection of rats or mice whose tails are intertwined and bound together in some way.
This could be a result of an entangling material like hair, a sticky substance such as sap or gum, or the tails being tied together.
The original German term, Rattenkönig, was calqued into English as rat king, and into French as roi des rats.
A similar phenomenon with squirrels has been observed, which has had modern documented examples.
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