OT (somewhat) Rodent alert: super rats

[Dr. Whom]

From today on the Guardian website. Note the symbiotic link with squirrels

Twenty-two inches from quivering whisker to fat tail, they can chomp through concrete and leap more than two feet in the air. Sauntering down your street in broad daylight, insolently raising two claws to the binman, they rifle through your rubbish and scoff poison as if it was milk chocolate. There is something of the night and also something of the urban myth about the nearly indestructible super rat coming to a pile of carelessly discarded foodstuffs near you. But Britain's pest controllers are adamant: they are receiving more panicky reports of rodent infestation than ever, and it does seem that our rats are evolving into something not seen before.

The rat are not the only scavenger whose numbers are increasing. It is not quite an ecosystem that has evolved around the rubbish bin but it is not far off, and various species certainly give each other a helping paw when it comes to raiding our trash. Old-fashioned black binbags are easily ripped open by urban foxes or cats, for example, encouraging mice and rats to feast on what is inside. Virtually rodent-proof wheelie bins are a different matter - but this is where the squirrels have a role to play. It is very difficult for rats to get inside a wheelie bin but squirrels have learned how to flip the lids open if there is a lip on the bin. They are very dextrous

[Scott]

Way back they were even seen in Hollywood and Vegas.