{{Short description|Collection of intertwined rats}} {{other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}} [[File:Strasbourg, Rat King retusche.jpg|thumb|Rat king found in 1895 in Dellfeld, Germany, now in the [[Musée zoologique de la ville de Strasbourg]], France]]

A '''rat king''' is a collection of rats (or mice) whose tails are intertwined and bound together in some way. This could be a result of an entangling material like hair, a sticky substance such as sap or gum, or the tails being tied together.

A [[Squirrel king|similar phenomenon with squirrels]] has been observed, which has had modern documented examples.

== Etymology == The original German term, {{lang|de|Rattenkönig}}, was [[calque]]d into English as ''rat king'', and into French as {{lang|fr|roi des rats}}. The term was not originally used in reference to actual rats, but for persons who lived off others. [[Conrad Gesner]] in {{lang|la|Historia animalium|italic=yes}} (1551–58) stated: "Some would have it that the rat waxes mighty in its old age and is fed by its young: this is called the rat king." [[Martin Luther]] stated: "finally, there is the Pope, the king of rats right at the top." Later, the term referred to a king sitting on a throne of knotted tails.<ref name="Hart66">{{cite book |last=Hart |first=Martin |author-link=Maarten 't Hart|title=Rats |year=1982 |others=Translated from 1973 Dutch edn by [[Arnold J. Pomerans]] |publisher=[[Allison & Busby]] |isbn=0-85031-297-3 |pages=66–67 }}</ref>

An alternative theory states that the name in French was {{lang|fr|rouet de rats}} (or a spinning wheel of rats, the knotted tails being wheel spokes), with the term transforming over time into {{lang|fr|roi des rats}},<ref name="Hart66"/> because formerly French ''oi'' was pronounced {{IPA|fr|we|}} or similar; nowadays it is pronounced {{IPA|fr|wa|}}.

== History == [[File:Der rattenkonig.jpg|thumb|Rat king depicted in 16th-century woodcut]]

The earliest report of rat kings comes from 1564.<ref name="Hart66"/> Most extant examples are formed from [[black rats]] (''Rattus rattus'').<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-complicated-inconclusive-truth-behind-rat-kings |title=The Complicated, Inconclusive Truth behind Rat Kings |last=Ossola |first=Alexandra |date=23 December 2016 |website=Atlas Obscura }}</ref>

Specimens of purported rat kings are kept in some museums. The museum Mauritianum in [[Altenburg]], [[Thuringia]], shows the largest well-known mummified "rat king", which was found in 1828 in a miller's fireplace at [[Buchheim]]. It consists of 32 rats.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mauritianum.de/web/ausstellung/dauerausstellung/|title=Dauerausstellung {{!}} Naturkundemuseum Mauritianum Altenburg|language=de|access-date=2019-08-20|archive-date=25 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125202608/http://www.mauritianum.de/web/ausstellung/dauerausstellung/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Alcohol-preserved rat kings are shown in museums in [[Hamburg]], [[Göttingen]], [[Hamelin]], [[Stuttgart]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Tartu]], and [[Nantes]].

A rat king found in 1930 in [[Dominion of New Zealand|New Zealand]], displayed in the [[Otago Museum]] in [[Dunedin]], was composed of immature black rats whose tails were entangled by horse hair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://otagomuseum.nz/collections/search-the-collection/VT2314|title=Rat King: Ship rat, ''Rattus rattus'', VT2314|work=Otago Museum Collections|access-date=9 June 2007|quote=The Otago Museum’s rat king: This display features a family of ''Rattus rattus'', discovered in the 1930s. They had fallen from their nest in the rafters of a shipping company shed, and were immediately followed to the floor by a parent who vigorously defended the young.}}</ref>

A rat king discovered in 1963 by a farmer at [[Rucphen]], Netherlands, as published by cryptozoologist M. Schneider, consists of seven rats. All of them were killed by the time they were examined.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2017-10-24|title=An (Almost) Comprehensive History of Rat Kings|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/506504/almost-comprehensive-history-rat-kings|website=mentalfloss.com}}</ref> X-ray images show formations of [[calluses]] at the fractures of their tails, which suggests that the animals survived for an extended period of time with their tails tangled.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schneider |first=M. |url=http://www.museumkennis.nl/nnm.dossiers/museumkennis/i003328.html |website=Museumkennis |access-date=2 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213163427/http://www.museumkennis.nl/nnm.dossiers/museumkennis/i003328.html |archive-date=13 December 2007 |location=Rucphen |title=De Rattenkoning van Rucphen }}</ref>

Sightings of the phenomenon in modern times, especially where the specimens are alive, are very rare. One 2005 sighting comes from an [[Estonia|Estonian]] farmer in [[Saru, Estonia|Saru]], of the [[Võru County|Võrumaa]] region;<ref>{{cite journal |author=Miljutin A. |year=2007 |title=Rat Kings in Estonia |url=http://www.kirj.ee/public/Ecology/2007/issue_1/bio-2007-1-7.pdf |journal=Proc. Estonian Acad. Sci. Biol. Ecol |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=77–81 }}</ref> many of the rats in the specimen, now part of the collection at the [[University of Tartu]] Museum of Zoology in Estonia, were alive. In 2021, a living "rat king" of five mice was caught on video (and untangled to save the mice) near [[Stavropol]], Russia.<ref>[https://knife.media/rat-king/ В Ставрополье нашли живого «крысиного короля» — нескольких грызунов, связавшихся хвостами] — Нож</ref><ref>[https://www.mk.ru/social/2021/08/30/opublikovano-video-s-naydennym-v-stavropole-unikalnym-zhivym-krysinym-korolem.html Опубликовано видео с найденным в Ставрополье уникальным живым «крысиным королём»] - МК</ref><ref>[https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2021/08/30/n_16454558.shtml Житель Ставрополья нашёл в&nbsp;огороде живого «крысиного короля»] - Газета.Ru | Новости»</ref><ref>[https://daily.afisha.ru/news/54035-stavropolec-nashel-krysinogo-korolya-myshey-svyazannyh-hvostami-v-uzel-yavlenie-schitalos-vydumkoy/ Ставрополец нашел «крысиного короля»&nbsp;— мышей, связанных хвостами в&nbsp;узел. Явление считалось выдумкой] - Афиша Daily</ref>

On 20 October 2021, a live rat king of 13 rats was found in [[Põlvamaa]], Estonia. The rat king was taken to [[Tartu University]] and euthanized due to the rats having no way of freeing themselves. Before that, scientists were able to film the rat king alive. The rat king will be added to Tartu University's Natural History Museum.<ref name=":5">Süldre, Lauraliis 20 October 2021): [http://www.err.ee/1608376409/tartu-ulikooli-loodusmuuseumi-joudis-uliharuldane-rotikuningas Tartu Ülikooli loodusmuuseumi jõudis üliharuldane rotikuningas.] Eesti Rahvusringhääling (in Estonian).</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2021|title=Põlvamaalt elusana leitud üliharuldane rotikuningas uinutati ning jääb teadlastele uurimiseks|url=https://lemmikloom.delfi.ee/artikkel/94926097/polvamaalt-elusana-leitud-uliharuldane-rotikuningas-uinutati-ning-jaab-teadlastele-uurimiseks |access-date=21 October 2021 |website=The Delfi |language=et }}</ref>

== Possible explanations == Rat kings have been reported from Germany, Belgium (particularly in vicinity of the border with the Netherlands), Poland, Estonia, Indonesia (Java), and New Zealand, with the majority of cases reported from the European countries. The existence of this phenomenon was debated due to the limited evidence of it occurring naturally, although the discovery of a live instance in Estonia in 2021 is considered to be proof that it is a natural, albeit extremely rare, phenomenon.<ref name=":5" /> Another concern is the possibility that some of the centuries-old preserved museum specimens could be fabricated, such hoaxes being common in earlier eras.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/six-baby-squirrels-with-tails-hopelessly-tangled-togeth-1826106637|title=Six Baby Squirrels With Tails Hopelessly Tangled Together Rescued in Nebraska|website=Gizmodo|date=17 May 2018 |access-date=2019-09-20}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/squirrel-king-five-creatures-tied-together-their-own-tails-discovered-1123422|title=Vets have untied a bundle of squirrels tangled by their tails in Wisconsin|first=Katherine |last=Hignett|date=2018-09-17|website=Newsweek}}</ref> 17th–18th-century [[naturalists]] proposed many hypotheses to explain this phenomenon. Most were dubious, ranging from the rats getting stuck together during birth and glued later, to healthy rats deliberately knotting themselves to weaker rats to make a nest. A possible explanation is that the long flexible tail of the black rat could be exposed to sticky or frozen substances such as [[sebum]] (a secretion from the skin itself), sap, food, or feces. This mixture acts as a bonding agent and may solidify as rats sleep especially when the animals live in proximity during winter. After realizing that they were bound, they would struggle, tightening the knot. This explanation is plausible given that most cases have been found during winter and in confined spaces.<ref name=":1" /> Emma Burns, curator of natural science at the Otago Museum, said regarding her museum's specimen, "Ship rats [black rats], according to some theories, are climbing rats, so their tails have a grasping reflex. In the nest, they form a hold."<ref name=":4" />

Some zoologists remain skeptical, saying that, while theoretically possible, the rats would not be able to survive in such a condition for a long time,<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> particularly if the temperatures rose or if they bit their own or another's tail to try to free themselves. Since black rats cluster together during winters for warmth, it is possible for a rat king to occur naturally.<ref name=":4" /> Any fabrications would most likely have been created using dead rats, given how difficult the process would be if the rats were alive. However, experts support the idea of isolated freak accidents due to the existence of occasional well-observed cases involving squirrels—also members of the [[rodent]] family.<ref name=":1" /> A 2007 study published in ''Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Science, Biology, and Ecology,'' following the finding of the University of Tartu specimen, concluded that the phenomenon is possible but rare.<ref name=":2" />

==In popular culture== [[File:Ratking - Nantes.jpg|thumb|Rat king found in 1986 in {{lang|fr|[[Vendée]]|italic=no}}]] [[File:Rotikuningas.jpg|thumb|Rat king in the [[University of Tartu]] Natural History Museum was found in 2005.]]

In ''[[The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents]]'' by [[Terry Pratchett]], members of the Ratcatchers' Guild create rat kings as a [[masterpiece]] to demonstrate their skill in handling live rats.<ref>Lloyd, Rebecca, (2020), "The Human Within and the Animal Without?: Rats and Mr Bunnsy in Terry Pratchett's ''The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents''", ''Gothic Animals: Uncanny Otherness and the Animal With-Out'' ed. Ruth Heholt and Melissa Edmundson, [[Palgrave-Macmillan]], {{ISBN|978-3030345396}}</ref>

The phenomenon's name appeared as the title of a [[Boston Manor (band)|Boston Manor]] song released in 2020, which according to singer Henry Cox explained was a metaphor for contemporary political and social events.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]|date= 5 March 2020|title=Hear Boston Manor's urgent new anthem "Ratking"|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-boston-manors-urgent-new-anthem-ratking|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>

A creature known as the Rat King is featured in the 2020 action-adventure video game ''[[The Last of Us Part II]]''. It is a conjoinment of multiple fungus-infected humans found in the underground levels of a hospital.<ref name="gamesradarRK">{{cite web |last1=Avard |first1=Alex |title=The making of a Rat King: How Naughty Dog created its scariest foe in The Last of Us Part 2 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-last-of-us-2-rat-king-making-of/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |publisher=[[Future US]] |access-date=20 March 2021 |date=16 October 2020}}</ref> Three actors were tied together to perform [[motion capture]] for the creature.<ref name="gamesradarRK"/><ref name="usgamerRK">{{cite web |last1=Cryer |first1=Hirun |title=The Last of Us Part 2 Tied Three Actors Together to Motion Capture The Rat King |url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-last-of-us-part-2-motion-capture-actors-rat-king |website=[[USGamer]] |publisher=[[Reed Exhibitions]] |access-date=20 March 2021 |date=10 July 2020 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122062028/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-last-of-us-part-2-motion-capture-actors-rat-king |url-status=dead }}</ref> Co-director Kurt Margenau described the idea behind the Rat King as the team's take on "what happens to them [the infected] when they sit around for a really long time."<ref name="gamesradarRK"/>

A three-head rat sovereign appears as the primary antagonist in Mac Barnett's graphic novel, ''The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza''.<ref> "Epic Lunacy, Kirkus, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mac-barnett/the-first-cat-in-space-ate-pizza/</ref> <!-- Please only add examples with secondary sources and if they have proper relevance. See [[WP:IPCEXAMPLES]] -->

== See also ==

* [[Squirrel king]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Rat kings}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171215205349/http://www.museum.nantes.fr/pages/03-apercu/apercuroiderat.htm Photo and X-ray of rat king in the Museum of Nantes] {{in lang|fr}}

[[Category:Rats]] [[Category:Animal welfare]]