On Rats Poem by Francis Duggan

It is true that rats are not much use at running
But they are creatures born to survive
In dark holes they spend most of their existence
And on scraps of food in rubbish tips they thrive

Despite trappings by humans poisonings and persecution
They are not rare in fact their numbers multiply
The female rat is a prolific breeder
Perhaps indeed this is one reason why

That common rats will never be an endangered species
Like mice and rabbits one female rodent can give birth to forty young a year
Whilst many species are facing extinction
Of mouse and rat plagues one does often hear

Brown rats are a family of Nature's great survivors
In sewers and rubbish tips they do abound
They live in holes in sandy banks and ditches
And when danger threatens they quickly go to ground.