"set up camp at three classic New York City haunts: a park, a subway platform and a sidewalk. Using thermal cameras and specialized microphones, they recorded the rodents moving like glowing phantoms across the pavement while squeaking away at frequencies far above human hearing. The real kicker? When an ambulance screamed by, the rats screamed louder. As Mackevicius put it: "They're just kind of screaming to each other, but we just don't hear it.""
"This chatter isn't just small squeaks about leftover pizza crusts. Peterson, who has studied rodent vocalizations, says the sheer volume suggests purpose. Why talk so much if it doesn't matter? The study even observed social dynamics: juvenile rats venturing out in clumsy packs of 20, while big, battle-hardened solo rats-nicknamed "Moby Dicks" by exterminators-stalked the streets with the calm confidence of seasoned bouncers."
Thermal cameras and ultrasonic microphones recorded nocturnal rodents in Manhattan moving across pavement while emitting ultrasonic vocalizations far above human hearing. Ultrasonic chatter increased in volume when ambulances passed, indicating reactive communication. Vocalization volume and patterns imply purposeful signaling rather than random noise. Observed social structures included juvenile groups of about 20 individuals and large solitary rats that patrol alone with apparent dominance. Norway rats exhibit long-term urban adaptations, altering skull shape and metabolism to exploit human environments, and require minimal daily food and water, aided by abundant processed snacks in the city.
Read at Time Out New York
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