Rats are omnivorous, which means they will eat almost anything. They feed on a wide range of plants, seeds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and their eggs, and will even attack animals larger than themselves. Rats are dangerous to humans too. They carry diseases such as typhoid, Q fever and the plague.

The first rats arrived in Antigua on board European ships about 400 years ago. Since then, they have spread everywhere, even reaching the offshore islands (see Hidden Treasures). They stow away on the tourist boats that sail around the islands, then swim ashore when these boat anchor close enough to a deserted beach. The first arrivals can live on scraps left behind by the visitors, but as they multiply, they begin destroying native plants, eating birds' eggs and attacking other animals.