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Raticate are much larger than Rattata, bipedal instead of quadrupedal, and are mostly tawny in color with a lighter-colored underside. Like Rattata, Raticate’s most prominent feature is its very large incisor teeth that grow quickly. Three rows of whiskers extend from its muzzle, which it uses to maintain balance. They also possess webbed feet, which can enable them to swim. Raticate has a much more rat-like tail than Rattata, being long, scaled, and bare, and its ears are more ragged in shape.
Gender differences
Females have shorter whiskers and a lighter fur color of fur.
Special abilities
Raticate have teeth that are strong enough to gnaw through steel. They can swim, and they also have the ability to intimidate their foes (although they cannot have the actual ability).
Behavior
Raticate are a bit more aggresive then Rattata, due to its bigger size. If attacked, it stands up on its hind legs, bares its fangs and shrieks in an intimidating manner at its enemy. They need something to gnaw on such as rocks or logs or their teeth may grow too much. They are willing to take on larger foes if provoked enough. Raticate searches wide areas for food, and the webbing on its hind legs enable it to cross rivers. As Raticate uses its whiskers to maintain balance, it will apparently slow down if they are cut off.
Raticate naturally live in plains and savannas, however, like Rattata, it can be found almost anywhere there's food. It is a common sight in Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh.
Raticate are omnivores in the truest sense, in that they are able to subsist on almost anything edible. Their webbed feet enable them to hunt for prey in rivers, however. They are also occasionally found with a Chilan Berry.
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In Pokémon Red and Blue, Raticate was classified as a Rat Pokémon. However, in from Generation III onward, it is classified as a mouse.
Though its Pokémon Yellow Pokédex entry states that it can swim in rivers to hunt for prey, it cannot learn the move Surf.
All of the other evolved forms of the Template:Type2 Pokemon encountered early in their respective regions (Furret in Johto, Linoone in Hoenn, and Bibarel in Sinnoh) can learn Surf.
Raticate is the only Pokémon whose catch rate has changed. Prior to Generation III, it was 90; now it is 127.
Origin
Its webbed feet, body shape, and overall design are very similar to the coypu, or nutria, a semi-aquatic South American rodent.
Name origin
Raticate's name seems to be a combination of rat and eradicate, meaning to destroy or exterminate. The second part could also be derived by the word masticate, meaning to chew, relating to its mouth and teeth. Ratta seems to be derived from rat alone, although it should be noted that Rattata's Japanese name, Koratta is that of Raticate's with ko (child) in front of it.
In other languages
German: Rattikarl - A combination of Ratte (rat) and radikal (radical). Also incorporates the first name Karl (Carl).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.