The info immediately below refers to a photo of a Brown Rat at the bottom of this post.
While rats often get a bad rap as "pests," they are actually vital cogs in the ecological machine. From the forests to the city streets, these clever rodents perform essential services that keep ecosystems functioning.
Here is why rats are actually good for the environment:
1. Natural Seed Dispersers
Rats are prolific "gardeners." Like squirrels, many species of rats hoard seeds and nuts in underground caches.
Forgotten Treasures: Rats often forget where they’ve buried their stash.
Reforestation: Those forgotten seeds eventually germinate, leading to the growth of new trees and plants, which helps maintain forest density and biodiversity.
2. Soil Engineers
The burrowing habits of rats are a major benefit to soil health.
Aeration: As they tunnel, they break up compacted dirt, allowing air and water to reach plant roots more effectively.
Nutrient Cycling: By dragging organic matter underground and leaving behind droppings, they act as a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus.
3. A Critical Link in the Food Web
In the wild, rats serve as a primary "protein source" for a vast array of predators. Without rats, many of these species would face starvation:
Birds of Prey: Owls, hawks, and eagles rely heavily on rodents.
Mammals: Foxes, weasels, and even larger cats depend on them as a stable food supply.
Reptiles: Snakes are major natural regulators of rat populations and depend on them to survive.
4. "The Cleanup Crew"
In urban and wild environments, rats act as opportunistic scavengers.
Waste Management: They consume fallen fruit, carrion (dead animals), and organic waste that would otherwise rot and potentially spread disease-causing bacteria or fungi.
Speedy Decomposition: By breaking down organic matter into smaller pieces, they speed up the process of decomposition, returning nutrients to the earth faster.
Some species, like the Giant African Pouched Rat, are even trained by humans to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis, proving they can be literal lifesavers for the environment and humanity.
Drake Wigeon at Keptie Pond, where I'd gone to shelter from the easterly wind coming off the North Sea
Wigeon female
Preening
I counted nine Grey Herons in late afternoon with more likely to fly in to roost at the pond
Two young Cormorants were preening and drying on the collapsed artificial island
I was surprised when I heard a Song Thrush quietly singing, and it confirmed its presence as it fed while the watery sun dipped below the houses on Nolt Loan Road
Walkers have told me of Brown Rats at Keptie, this one was the first I've seen and it was no surprise to me to see it near the access steps on Keptie Road where the visitors feed the ducks. I don't think rats in a semi wild place should be an issue, they've had a bad press since the days of the plague when they were wrongly thought to be the main carrier, we were the carriers, it spread too far and too quickly to be rats, it was due to humans moving around the country and was prevalent along main highways.
A well marked 4th calendar year Herring Gull at Arbroath Harbour
