Furry, creepy, and seemingly sneaky, rats have a bad reputation for spreading disease and stealing food from under our noses. They are quite comfortable living in a number of environments, from swamps, to mountains, to basements. Color images show different species of rats, while informative text explains what a species is. A special section on pest control explains how rats were controlled in the Middle Ages and how they are controlled today. A section on lab rats even explains how these mammal pests have helped humans fight disease.