The rat's tail helps to regulate its body temperature. Tailless rats do not lose heat as well as tailed rats -- their core body temperatures rise higher and it takes longer for their high temperatures to come down.. 15 Facts about Rat tails 1. Rats use their tails for temperature control The first reason why rats have tails is for temperature control. Their tail makes up only 5% of the surface area of their body but can dissipate around 17% of their body heat. This means that it is an excellent way for them to cool down when they're too hot. They do this by dilating and constricting the blood vessels.
Rats are rodents that are medium-sized with long tails. Rats and mice look very similar, and one way to distinguish them is by their size. Rats are much larger than mice. There are two common species of rats; black rats and brown rats. Both have long tails, and they use these in some fantastic ways.. While rats cannot grasp an object or hold onto something with their tails the way monkeys can, they do use them as a counterbalance. A rat's center of gravity is already low, but they can change it by specific placement, angle, or movement of the tail.