Scampering and Pathways

Of all the forms of locomotion a brown rat utilises, scampering is the most common. Just like other limbed land animals, the brown rat follows a step cycle of a stance phase and swing phase. The stance phase places the rat's limb on the ground to support body weight and propel the body forward by moving the limb through the swing phase. Bipedal (walk on two limbs) humans alternate between the stance and swing phase using a push off with the big toe and a heel strike for landing back into the stance phase. Quadrupedal rats (walk on four limbs) will make contact with the ground and push off with the front of their fore and hind paws with each diagonal set of limbs moving in sequence. The fore limbs provide balance and steering while the hind limbs give the rat propulsion.

When brown rats are scampering in a known area, they will confidently bound from point to point. The brown rat will typically set up scent marked pathways that will be used again and again. Once the brown rats learns routes they will confidently use them again and again as rat runs at a relatively high speed of motion. The brown rat has a low centre of gravity, good agility, and a tail that acts as a superb balancing tool. These factors add to other adaptations and allow for an efficient mode of ground level commuting.

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