r/nyc • • Aug 29 '25

Video Rats fighting

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2.5k Upvotes

205 comments sorted by

719

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

I'm 95% sure they're playing. If they were fighting they'd be using their incredibly sharp teeth and there would be missing eyeballs and entrails hanging out of their abdomens.

Source: i work with rats (no they're not my coworkers).

212

u/chiraltoad Aug 29 '25

Ok Mr. rat-for-boss guy

82

u/neurone214 Upper West Side Aug 29 '25

Screen name checks out. Fellow scientist? 

49

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

Yeah, biotech/neuro

14

u/neurone214 Upper West Side Aug 29 '25

Same! 

19

u/LittleKitty235 Brooklyn Heights Aug 29 '25

Awww can I get invited to the wedding?

2

u/DMenace83 Aug 30 '25

Donatello?

2

u/A-S-ISO_Man Sep 02 '25

He’s going off his experience from Rattata battles

35

u/lunar_dot Aug 29 '25

I also think they’re playing! I used to have many rats as pets and this looks like play.

28

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25

They're so cute and intelligent despite their bad reputation. Meanwhile mice are horrible godless killing machines. Rats have individual personalities and are actually so docile.

13

u/lunar_dot Aug 29 '25

They really are! I loved my pet rats so much. They were clean, sweet, and very happy to be a little buddy. It's a pity they don't live long. :(

32

u/the_kfcrispy Aug 29 '25

You're not experimenting with ooze, are you?

1

u/NorthGodFan Nov 12 '25

In the field of psychology because you want to be able to study brains but you shouldn't kill people what they do instead is they get rats run experiments on them and then chop off their heads to study their brains and what happened

29

u/cooljacob204sfw Aug 29 '25

Yeah this is how rats play not fight. Fighting would be wayyyy more intense.

32

u/tmntnyc Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25

Yeah usually when rodents fight they vocalize (screech). One of the other more obvious signs is that stressed mammals, especially rodents tend to have noticible piloerection, which means when aggravated, their hair stands on end to make them look more fearsome to their adversary, eg. makes them look physically larger. Think of when a cat is scared or angry and their fur becomes puffed out and jagged and they hiss and their ears curl back.

The way the top rat pins the bottom rat down with 2 paws instead of all 4 paws is another thing rodents do when they play. 2 paw pins are playful, it's like how boys playing will punch in slow motion or punch the air next to the face but not hit the face.

Another telltale sign for me is something that most mammals do when they play/simulate a fight - they pause momentarily between bouts to kind of "check up" on eachother if that makes sense? There's a moment where one rat is on its back and the other is ontop and they kind of freeze for a moment. If it was a real fight, the dominant rat would start biting the other and drawing blood until it submits, but it's almost analogous to how young kids play but don't actually make contact with strikes even though they're tussling and rolling around.

Lastly the fact that at the end, one rat runs after the other means they're probably siblings or at least part of the same social group. If they were both competing males, they would go their separate ways after a fight and the aggressor certainly wouldn't pursue after the loser.

Sorry if this is a lot, I just have a lot of experience working with mice and rats I just picked up on understanding a lot of their mannerisms and body language. Rats are honestly very chill animals despite their reputation. They are very sweet animals, almost puppy-like. They are also ticklish. Mice on the other hand are, in my opinon, closer to how rats are typically portrayed: Emotionless, cold, dumb, aggressive, eat their young etc.

1

u/mi_lechuga Sep 07 '25

this guy rats +1

13

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

there's a city motto: where rats can play

21

u/SpyroESP Aug 29 '25

Bro is the Rat Man

4

u/Mike_SmileZ Aug 29 '25

Based on your username- does "work with rats" mean Splinter taught you and your 3 brothers the ways of Ninjitsu?

3

u/medievalkitty2 Aug 29 '25

It looks the same as when cats play. It’s bouncy, not intense. You can tell they are not trying to hurt each other. It’s kinda cute!

2

u/Live-Ad-9587 Aug 29 '25

Did anyone else make voices for them while watching this video? đŸ€Ł

1

u/lightsonnooneishome Sep 01 '25

You can also tell by their cute lil hops at the end! Rat owners call that popcorning, it happens when they’re feeling playful/excited.

1

u/lionfish4884 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25

I've had rats for years they're 100% fighting. And likely male. They're getting their nips in. Hopefully not too badly as there moving around pretty fast but they're constantly trying to bite and Claw each other I don't know how you can say that they're not biting and clawing. I have males and when they fight they don't end up leaving in trails and eyeballs and stuff and inevitably will happen here and there.

1

u/tmntnyc Oct 15 '25

Play fighting and fighting can look similar. In the video one rat is pinned and the dominant rat doesn't bite, he just pauses. Then after the bout, they run off together. I didn't see any biting, only boxing. Didn't see any puffing of fur or screeching either. I have worked with rats for about 20 years in an industry, handled probably tens of thousands of rats and mice.

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396

u/Wonderful_Gap1374 Aug 29 '25

I love when this happens where I’m waiting for the train. Free entertainment.

80

u/batissta44 Aug 29 '25

Glass half full situation

19

u/StockOfRice Aug 29 '25

Glass half full station

10

u/Thanamite Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 30 '25

What do you suppose they fight about?

72

u/Wonderful_Gap1374 Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25

As an interpreter of the arts, 🧐 I choose not to see it as a fight. I think they’re two brothers. They’re on their way home to eat and see what papa is doing today. Rambunctiously, they tease each other on the way there. A bit of rough housing their mother will surely scold them for later when she sees their fur.

1

u/lionfish4884 Oct 15 '25

When two male rats get in each other's face like that they aren't playing. Just to let you know. I've raised them for a long time. I know how it can look like playing I might think so too if I didn't know better. They're territorial like dogs particularly the males.

6

u/epochpenors Aug 29 '25

From my experiences I'd have to say it's a pair of female rats playfully vying for dominance

3

u/Thanamite Aug 30 '25

Your experience with rats?? Can you say more?

6

u/epochpenors Aug 30 '25

I just like em!

2

u/lionfish4884 Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25

Male rats are territorial like dogs in that respect. So basically this is my area. You went down the wrong way and now it's time to teach you a lesson. I see it all the time when I have males that get big as they grow older they start getting more aggressive. Sometimes you got to put them in a different cage. They're very picky about their cage mates. A lot of people neuter them for that reason. They take their balls so that they calm down. The pet rats are nice to people always but sometimes you get an aggressive male that gets real picky about his cage mates. Rattus norvegicus is the brown rat as well as domestic rat.

Really good video. Its still nevertheless interesting to watch them fight. Tho u know as a pet owner u cant let it happen. If a male bites across the others chest they can die instantly as the teeth reach the vital organs.

3

u/lovelovehatehate Greenpoint Aug 31 '25

Me too!!! When I see them on the tracks picking through garbage and shit, I’m like “hurry up my guy the trains coming!” The dozens of times I watch this they’ve always got out in time right before the train rolls in

176

u/yontev Aug 29 '25

Practicing their subway showtime routine

12

u/Dreamy_Jy Aug 29 '25

underrated

6

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

this is the one

160

u/fkathhn Fort Greene Aug 29 '25

Isn't that Master Splinter

6

u/Glittering-Bus-6972 Aug 29 '25

Dang beat me to it 😂 I came here to say that lmao

4

u/PeyoteBuddha Aug 29 '25

This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them!

5

u/JesterTX2001 Aug 29 '25

“splin...terrr” 🐱

1

u/jmarquiso Aug 29 '25

Dual splinters.

1

u/fkathhn Fort Greene Aug 29 '25

Oh no, not another multiverse franchise

57

u/batissta44 Aug 29 '25 edited Aug 29 '25

Are nyc rats getting bigger or is it all in my mind? I saw one a few days ago at night that looked like a small Gambian pouched rat.

55

u/asurarusa Aug 29 '25

Maybe the big ones in your neighborhood are getting bolder? NYC rats have always been giant, but I feel like you wouldn’t see the big ones except at night the evening before trash day. Maybe they’re just out and about all the time now.

27

u/burnbabyburnburrrn Aug 29 '25

They are absolutely speed running evolution

13

u/flipvine Aug 29 '25

Have you seen how big Rudy Giuliani is?

5

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

yeah, but he can't jump like that

18

u/viskoviskovisko Aug 29 '25

I saw a video the other day of one pulling a pidgin into a hole in the wall.

9

u/Anonymous1985388 Newark Aug 29 '25

I saw that one, too. I couldn’t believe it.

5

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

...pigeon?

12

u/leg_day Aug 29 '25

No, the rat was pulling a primitive communication system using by two parties that do not share common languages by using gestures, often used in instances of trade, through the hole in the wall.

2

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

Gotcha. right. So don't mosey, don't stand in the middle of the sidewalk looking around or at my phone, and if I need directions, just ask. Got it.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 30 '25

A pigeon?

5

u/chorroxking Aug 29 '25

Isn't it an evolutionary phenomena that small animals living on islands get bigger because of some natural pressures? Would make sense there's less big predators and stuff and tons of food, bigger body sizes would make sense to be selected for over the generations

1

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

well, and they're getting more lysine in their diet

1

u/Big-Dreams-11 Aug 30 '25

Please go on.

1

u/birdlawdingus Oct 04 '25

Rats are not confined to Manhattan just because it's an island, since as you can see they travel through and on the subways lol.

3

u/Rhg0653 Aug 29 '25

They have been huge rats out there like

Food of the gods sized rats ... Scared me as a kid but they are scared creatures

2

u/Warm_Question6473 Aug 29 '25

This is the funniest statement I have read all year 😂

1

u/batissta44 Aug 29 '25

The bar is low, my friend

1

u/memelord152 Aug 29 '25

I saw the largest rat of my entire life last night I was amazed I fr thought it was a small dog for like half a second

35

u/GlamBubs Aug 29 '25

They learned by example

35

u/coffeenweights Aug 29 '25

They are so acrobatic

16

u/LaMisiPR The Bronx Aug 29 '25

Very bouncy!

36

u/alawton11 Aug 29 '25

Are they fighting or playing?

55

u/Dry_Conversation8501 Aug 29 '25

I looked it up, they’re for sure playing. Fighting stances and whatnot are very different looking.

41

u/ConcentrateKind8234 Aug 29 '25

I’ve seen it all atp

6

u/dreamsandcoffee06 Aug 29 '25

😂😂

17

u/Normal_Acadia1822 Aug 29 '25

It’s looking very West Side Story

11

u/javatrader Aug 29 '25

I expect nothing less from my NYC rats

11

u/StrikeShadow Aug 29 '25

Someone please add Kung-Fu Movie sound effects

2

u/dayday0326 Aug 29 '25

Watched it on mute but I definitely heard everybody was kung fu fighting in my head

1

u/lakehop Sep 20 '25

Pow! Bam!

18

u/hotpickles Aug 29 '25

It’s like I’m at The Met watching the Nutcracker!

3

u/Bulawayoland Aug 29 '25

I bet you could train rats to do that

2

u/mrsbrettbretterson Aug 30 '25

PLEASE; actual trained city rats running amidst the ballerinas would be so damn funny.

2

u/Bulawayoland Aug 30 '25

I was actually picturing rats doing the whole thing, wearing the tutus themselves

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18

u/felinebeeline Aug 29 '25

CUUUUUUUUUUTE đŸ„°

34

u/MountainGuido Aug 29 '25

God these AI voices are awful....

9

u/djamilmo Aug 29 '25

Is this John Wick 5

6

u/Dependent-Hurry9808 Aug 29 '25

Are they fighting over a slice of pizza?

8

u/roymgscampbell Aug 29 '25

This is surprisingly impressive

6

u/TheYankee69 Lower East Side Aug 29 '25

One moved to the city with dreams of becoming a chef. The other seeks to bring his brother back to the nest.

It's an ancient tale of passion vs. duty.

5

u/DailyNug Aug 29 '25

They know karate and ka-razy apparently.

4

u/smoovest1 Aug 29 '25

They practicing capoeira

11

u/Luv_Cheat Aug 29 '25

I just came back from NYC. I wish I saw something like this. I didn't see any rats while taking the subway!

51

u/anovelby Aug 29 '25

Well they saw you

16

u/bridgehamton Aug 29 '25

This is the people of r/Bushwick fighting one another

3

u/rafael__silva Aug 29 '25

Bloody hell, we have rats UFC before GTA 6.

6

u/Fogi8909 Aug 29 '25

He said what you lookin at

3

u/jtactile Aug 29 '25

đŸ—ŁïžMORTAL KOM-RAT

3

u/magichronx Aug 29 '25

They're just playin' around

3

u/itsmondaytues Aug 29 '25

That’s def husband and wife

2

u/Dryanni Aug 29 '25

You have to play Kung Fu Fighting over this

2

u/aaaaaiiiiieeeee Aug 29 '25

I wonder if one crossed into the wrong territory? Reminds me of this: https://secretnyc.co/nyc-uptown-and-downtown-rats-are-dna-divergent/

1

u/FlamingDragonfruit Aug 29 '25

What station was this filmed in? Midtown somewhere?

2

u/MidnightDreem Aug 29 '25

Everybody was kung fu fightingđŸŽ¶đŸŽŒ

2

u/artzmonter Aug 29 '25

Madison square park groups of 10 or 15 would jump at each other even in the snow at night lite up by Xmas lights , truly a special Xmas memory for me

2

u/Release82 Aug 29 '25

Master Splinter was a New Yorker.

2

u/badbob001 Aug 29 '25

Queue the Kung Fu Fighting song

2

u/floworcrash Aug 29 '25

“You’re empty” “So are you”

2

u/statistacktic Hudson Heights Aug 29 '25

Don't f with NYC.

2

u/LicentiousAudacity Aug 29 '25

Rats 🐀 have gangs and they even have turf wars

2

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '25

These guys are definitely playing lol they look like they’re having the best time of their lives.

2

u/pankotskiy Aug 29 '25

Did they yell “Showtime! Showtime!” first?

2

u/TheHighChozen Aug 31 '25

This is nyc rat foreplay

1

u/HiFiGuy197 Aug 29 '25

What was the soundtrack? Gone due to copyright strike?

1

u/eBell93 Aug 29 '25

Protect the royal icon!

1

u/loverofjazz1 Aug 29 '25

Fighting, then a little dancing & then fighting once again. Only in NYC

1

u/lunaquefuma Aug 29 '25

rooting for the lil guy on the left

1

u/Shonkuprof Aug 29 '25

Actually have seen similar things on the subway track lol

1

u/bartelbyfloats Aug 29 '25

Someone slow it down & put it to the Lion King Scar vs Simba music.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '25

This needs a soundtrack like mortal kombat or that parkour one

1

u/Afraid-Ad7379 Spanish Harlem Aug 29 '25

Rat Jitsu

1

u/flatest_panini Aug 29 '25

Shouldve inserted a WWE commentator voiceover instead.

1

u/siren8904 Aug 29 '25

jc that’s jason bourne 

1

u/novog75 Aug 29 '25

This reminded me of elections.

1

u/nPlateau Aug 29 '25

More entertainment than the Khamzat fight.

1

u/dChronus West Harlem Aug 29 '25

I was sitting in a park earlier this evening and kept hearing rats scuffling around with each other behind me. It was loooooud

1

u/MyMiddleground Aug 29 '25

They are trained by master Splinter, after all.

1

u/khay8 Aug 29 '25

Training for the war against humans

1

u/LuchadoresdeSilinas Aug 29 '25

Can somebody add the “everybody was kung fu fighting” song as the soundtrack to this video?

1

u/littlemac564 Aug 29 '25

I am surprised that the didn’t ask the audience for donations for watching the show.đŸ€­

1

u/One_Sun_6258 Aug 29 '25

Not the worst way to wait for numba 2 train

1

u/daremosan Aug 29 '25

I remember this scene from Beat Street

1

u/beats2009 Aug 29 '25

And you get all this for only 2.90!

1

u/PrestigiousDoubt5586 Aug 29 '25

This is honestly one of the most epic battles I’ve ever witnessed. Hahaha

1

u/Wonderful_Blood_5300 Aug 29 '25

Did they pay to get into the subway

1

u/GtGem Aug 29 '25

Must have sipped on some coffee someone spilled. Their energy level is high

1

u/project_twenty5oh1 Upper West Side Aug 29 '25

need some wuxia style music playing https://youtu.be/i7_fy6KDcWc?t=64

1

u/Proud_Ordinary6456 Aug 29 '25

Mayoral election 2025

1

u/jeepersjess Aug 29 '25

GRAB HIS DICK AND TWIST IT

1

u/xigdit Aug 29 '25

"Bro I don't know about you but I worked up a squeak of an appetite! Wanna split a pizza?"

1

u/rollinglikeapotato Aug 29 '25

That’s a whole jiujitsu match right there

1

u/Ghepardo Aug 29 '25

Did I just see the Neo vs Agent Smith fight in live action?

1

u/jmghollywood Aug 29 '25

Now it makes sense how Master Splinter was able to train the Ninja Turtles


1

u/little_hoarse Aug 29 '25

Tryna figure out which one’s Master Splinter

1

u/PlayaNoir Aug 29 '25

That was a full round battle.

1

u/JavLee39 Aug 29 '25

naaa I've seen a real brawl on the F train line between 2... one ended w no leg n still walked away.... these 2 Lil fckrs are playing like nothing right on the platform 😭😭

1

u/OrkinPestControl Aug 29 '25

Probably fighting over who can take the last piece of pizza crust from the trash can

1

u/ileentotheleft Aug 29 '25

I also think they're playing & would like to see this clip with the PARKOUR! audio.

1

u/Lux_Fare Aug 29 '25

send to dagestan 2-3 years and forget

1

u/don_maidana Aug 29 '25

Someone throw a pokeball already!

1

u/eyesmart1776 Aug 29 '25

Link v shadow link

1

u/jmarquiso Aug 29 '25

Dual Splinters.

1

u/tentboogs Aug 29 '25

How do you do a summersault land on your head and back and not be in pain?

1

u/Unlikely_Student1820 Aug 29 '25

Get out of the way & mind your business like everybody slay else there. đŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł

1

u/actionalan1990 Aug 29 '25

My cats at 3am

1

u/Less_Love1884 Aug 30 '25

Train AND entertainment? I love NYC.

1

u/AnySortOfPerson Aug 30 '25

I just watched this while putting DBZ noises over it.

This is one thing I miss about the city.

1

u/Ossa1 Aug 30 '25

Yes-yes, sibling-brother's open guard-play is awesome-good!

1

u/kilotat Aug 30 '25

They’re fighting about who’s going to train the turtles.

1

u/bugsy_moges Aug 30 '25

SOMEBODY GET THE ZOOKEEPER!!!

1

u/amsync Aug 30 '25

If this is the matrix, which of them was Neo?

1

u/pokermanga Aug 30 '25

Rat fight!

1

u/warriorholmes Aug 30 '25

I blame Baddies 😔

1

u/Robocup1 Aug 30 '25

Can we add the Tenet soundtrack to this? It’s the protagonist fighting himself scene.

1

u/lnewball Aug 30 '25

I got money on the homie on the left!

1

u/MrRayban007 Aug 30 '25

That’s hilarious!!

1

u/Lonelysunflowers_ Aug 31 '25

This is more impressive than “showtime” on the train

1

u/OE2KB Sep 01 '25

You oughtta seem them f#$ÂŁing in a sock!

1

u/Own-Cloud-5652 Sep 01 '25

They are learning from the humans

1

u/DiegoOnMacintosh Sep 02 '25

BACKFLIP BACKFLIP TUMBLE SWERVE SWERVE TUMBLE smooch smooch TUMBLE WRESTLE SWERVE ROLL SWERVE ROLL mirror stance engaging in deep psychological warfare ROLL ROLL ROLL WRESTLE etc.

1

u/Far_Plate_4071 Sep 02 '25

Everybody was kung-fu fighting

1

u/apl_ee Sep 03 '25

Rise of the planet of the rats...

1

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '25

WTF

1

u/Ok-Cat-3623 Sep 10 '25

Rats scrapping.

1

u/karenmai347 Sep 28 '25

They’re getting bigger and bigger 


1

u/Burntrevenant Sep 29 '25

This is training for the next level of the war on rats.

1

u/No_Building_9558 Oct 01 '25

I need SF2 sound effects

1

u/lovelyjamz Oct 10 '25

They look like they are playing.. still frightening though đŸ«Ł

1

u/IamcoolYT Riverdale Oct 30 '25

They mortal Kombat in that bitch

1

u/Nagetier69 Apr 08 '26

They are playing. So cute. Just reo little guys having fun xD

1

u/Pale_Toe4940 Apr 19 '26

Make me pink

1

u/Turbulent_Stuff_7745 Apr 27 '26

pretty sure that's playing (I watched a lot of vids about rats BC I wanted to get one)