Yes, Panama has rats. In fact, it has quite a fascinating variety of rodents, and the word "rat" in Panama doesn't necessarily mean the big city rat that people imagine when they hear the word. Panama has introduced rats that live around human settlements, as well as numerous native wild rodents that are an entirely normal part of the rainforest ecosystem.
If you are visiting Panama, you may occasionally see a rat around cities, restaurants, markets, ports, farms or other places where food and shelter are plentiful. The black or roof rat, Rattus rattus, is well established in Panama and has historically been recorded not only around towns but also in agricultural areas and even away from buildings.
The Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, is also present in Panama. These are the heavier, more ground-oriented rats that people commonly associate with sewers, drains, garbage areas and urban environments. Panama's biodiversity records list the species as occurring in the country.
The black rat has a somewhat different lifestyle. It is generally more slender and is an excellent climber. Historically in Panama, black rats have been found around houses and towns, but also in fields and forested areas that have been altered by people.
But here is where Panama gets much more interesting: the country also has native wild rats and rat-like rodents that have nothing to do with the typical urban pest.
One example is the spiny rat, which is native to Panama's forests. Researchers studying 50 forested islands in Gatun Lake found spiny rats on 29 of them. These animals live in natural forest environments and are part of the country's native wildlife.
Panama also has climbing rats, rice rats, pocket mice and several other native rodents. Some are extremely specialized for life in trees, while others live on the forest floor. There are even species with very restricted distributions, such as the Mount Pirri isthmus rat, which is known from eastern Panama.
This is something tourists often don't realize when they visit a rainforest. When you see a small rodent scurrying through the vegetation, it doesn't automatically mean you are looking at a dirty city rat. Tropical forests have their own communities of native rodents, just as they have their own monkeys, birds, frogs and other mammals.
And some of these animals are surprisingly attractive. Native spiny rats, for example, can have beautifully patterned or textured fur and are perfectly adapted to life in the rainforest. They are generally much more secretive than the rats associated with cities, which is why visitors rarely notice them.
The distinction is important because Panama is an incredibly biodiverse country. Rodents are actually an important part of the ecosystem. They eat fruits, seeds, vegetation and other foods, and some help disperse seeds or provide food for predators. Owls, snakes, wild cats and other predators all form part of the food web in which native rodents play a role.
So if you are walking through a Panamanian jungle and something small suddenly disappears into the vegetation, don't immediately assume you've discovered a giant tropical sewer rat.
You might have just encountered one of Panama's native wild rodents.
The rats that live around people are a different story. Like anywhere else, garbage, exposed food, poorly sealed buildings and easy access to shelter can attract them. Keeping food stored properly and preventing access to buildings is important, particularly in warm tropical environments.
But overall, the answer is simple: yes, Panama has rats, and quite a few of them. Some are introduced species that have adapted brilliantly to human environments, while others are native rainforest animals that have been living in Panama's forests for thousands or millions of years.
And once you start looking at Panama's rodents as wildlife rather than simply pests, you discover another surprisingly fascinating part of the country's enormous biodiversity.