Full Description
Crats are a large insectivore.  They are commonly found among the treetops in the wild, but have taken to living in barns & attics in settled areas.  Their name derives from their most common description "rats the size of cats."

While they are neither rodent nor feline, they do have certain traits in common with both.  They possess curved and sharp claws, and a propensity for climbing, similar to cats, but the claws of a crat are not retractable.  They also have padded feet, but lack the feline grace needed for truly silent motion.  In general appearance, they greatly resemble rats, including the naked tail.  They also have pronounced front teeth, but these are sharply pointed, rather than rodent-like.  They share the habit of gnawing with rodents, albeit to a much reduced degree. 

Additional Information
While their ecological niche is useful to farmers—they eat harmful insects & their sheer size frightens away many rodents in the same areas—crats are considered pests.  This is in part due to the damage they cause in building nests; crats do not keep one nest, but change location every few weeks.  Additionally, their size, aggressive tendencies (as insectivores they are predatory, even if two-legged creatures aren’t on the menu), and resemblance to rats do not endear them to those whose buildings they inhabit. 

The natural enemies of crats are the reptilian publicans.

User Submitted Ideas (0)