The Rat King: On the Fascinations (and Revulsions) of Rattus

In what he calls "an Experiment in Controlled Digression," Mark Dery touches on xenogastronomy, ortolan, Edible Dormouse, Victor Hugo's fondness for rat pâté, rat-baiting as a betting sport in Victorian times, the rat as New York's unofficial mascot, Luis Buñuel's pet rat, scientific research into such pressing questions as whether rats laugh, and whether rats will inherit the Earth as a result of climate change, Dracula's dominion over rats, and of course the (cryptozoological myth? well-documented phenomenon?) of the Rat King.

The Complicated, Inconclusive Truth Behind Rat Kings - Atlas Obscura

The Rat King: On the Fascinations (and Revulsions) of Rattus

The rat king or roi-de-rats is a very creepy conjoined creature

The Truth Behind the Terrifying Legend of the Rat King

Creepy video shows nine rats seen tied together by tails in bizarre 'rat king' phenomenon that leaves them dead

Rat king - Wikipedia

The Complicated, Inconclusive Truth Behind Rat Kings - Atlas Obscura

Mark Dery

Largest rat king: How 32 rats accidentally tied themselves together

Bizarre moment four rats shuffle along while tied together in rare example of 'rat king' phenomenon

Chicago Reader print issue of October 19, 2023 (Vol. 53, No. 1) by Chicago Reader - Issuu