# Don't google 'rat scrotum' **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193 "2008-07-20T23:05:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/21 "2008-07-22T16:04:36Z")
It is a rodent thing. I thought I said so in my earlier post but now I see I must have edited it out when I decided to remove my story about calling certain men in tights “Squirrel Boys” at the Ren Fest. I didn’t want to sound like a perv. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/22 "2008-07-22T16:57:06Z")
Obligatory [nutsack squirrel](http://www.nutsack.com/imsq/squirrel.jpg) post. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/23 "2008-07-22T18:56:05Z")
_nearly snorts coffee_ Yanno, this thread is making me think of [tanuki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki) – they’re these Japanese mythological tricksters that look like raccoons a bit. Except they have balls their own size, and are known to do all sorts of tricks with 'em. There’s a few pictures in that wikipedia entry. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/24 "2008-07-22T19:01:30Z")
[QUOTE=lizardling] _nearly snorts coffee_ Yanno, this thread is making me think of [tanuki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki) – they’re these Japanese mythological tricksters that look like raccoons a bit. Except they have balls their own size, and are known to do all sorts of tricks with 'em. There’s a few pictures in that wikipedia entry. [/QUOTE] They may figure in Japanese myths, but they are real animals, not mythical annimals. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/25 "2008-07-22T19:11:35Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Obligatory [nutsack squirrel](http://www.nutsack.com/imsq/squirrel.jpg) post. [/QUOTE] Holy genitals :eek: ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/26 "2008-07-22T19:19:03Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] They may figure in Japanese myths, but they are real animals, not mythical annimals. [/QUOTE] That’s true to some degree. The entry that I linked to is for the mythological version. I’ve yet to hear of a raccoon dog using its nuts as a weapon for smacking people around. Or singing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/27 "2008-07-22T19:41:52Z")
[QUOTE=lizardling] _nearly snorts coffee_ Yanno, this thread is making me think of [tanuki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki) – they’re these Japanese mythological tricksters that look like raccoons a bit. Except they have balls their own size, and are known to do all sorts of tricks with 'em. There’s a few pictures in that wikipedia entry. [/QUOTE] Which brings me to my other [obligatory YouTube post](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjEHx7kM_DA), a Japanese commercial featuring Little Red Riding Hood and … well-endowed forest animals. (Bonus cameo of tanuki, uh … swingin’) I’ve been hanging around Fark way too long. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/28 "2008-07-22T19:49:34Z")
Pigs have large testicles also. And the schlong winner might be the ostrich. A male ostrich only weighs a coupla hundred pounds, yet it seems half of that is penis. Possibly the single funniest thing that happened during my veterinary school education was when, during equine semen collection, I saw a female classmate get slapped in the face with an erect stallion’s penis. It left a nasty red welt. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/29 "2008-07-22T20:00:53Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] Pigs have large testicles also. And the schlong winner might be the ostrich. A male ostrich only weighs a coupla hundred pounds, yet it seems half of that is penis. Possibly the single funniest thing that happened during my veterinary school education was when, during equine semen collection, I saw a female classmate get slapped in the face with an erect stallion’s penis. It left a nasty red welt. [/QUOTE] We should really swap stories some time. I worked as a Large Animal groom at OSU’s Vet school, back before I decided not to join you in your professional path. Some personal highlights: turning a bunch of pretty-much-feral cows loose in a confined are and then watching suburbanite small-animal types try and learn how to handle them. Only to be bested by doing the same thing with pretty-much-feral llamas. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/30 "2008-07-22T20:07:53Z")
I see rats occasionally in the NYC subway system. Even at 10 feet away I can tell the males from the females. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/31 "2008-07-22T20:17:55Z")
I read once that the more sex partners the female of the species has during mating season, the larger the males’ testicles are. So, I’m guessing that rats tend to be a bit slutty. 🙂 ETA: Whoops, **ComeToTheDarkSide** beat me to it. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Seeker\_of\_Truth\_and\_Beauty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Seeker\_of\_Truth\_and\_Beauty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seeker_of_Truth_and_Beauty)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/32 "2008-07-22T20:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] This poor guy likes to lay around on his side with his legs sticking up in the air looking dead, but with balls that size, I don’t blame him. He needs to learn to wank. Ten times a day. Actually, I think he’s got heat exhaustion or something. It’s been really hot. I put an extra bowl of water in for him, and took him out to sprinkle water all over him to help him cool off. That seemed to revive him. He still needs to learn to wank though, you just can’t have balls that big and not do something about it. [/QUOTE] I’m sure if you google hard enough\*, you’ll find a tutorial on how to teach a rat to masturbate. Now with bonus pictures! [sub]\*Pun very much intended.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/33 "2008-07-22T20:41:06Z")
[QUOTE=Seeker of Truth & Beauty] I’m sure if you google hard enough\*, you’ll find a tutorial on how to teach a rat to masturbate. Now with bonus pictures! [sub]\*Pun very much intended.[/sub] [/QUOTE] The funny thing is, the rat _is_ for a class and is supposed to be socialized and trained/conditioned to do something. That would have to get you an A. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/34 "2008-07-22T20:45:05Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Safe Search is your friend for situations like this. [/QUOTE] I can’t imagine that even Safe Search could do much to save you from googling “rat scrotum”. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/35 "2008-07-23T04:23:05Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] I can’t imagine that even Safe Search could do much to save you from googling “rat scrotum”. [/QUOTE] "Your search - \*\*rat scrotum \*\*- did not match any documents, you pervert. Suggestions: [ul] [li]Make sure all words are spelled correctly.[/li][li]Try different keywords.[/li][li]Try more general keywords[/li][li]Try fewer keywords.[/li][li]Try different keywords. Yes we know we said that already, but really, what were you thinking?"[/li][/ul] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/36 "2008-07-23T09:52:39Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I read once that the more sex partners the female of the species has during mating season, the larger the males’ testicles are. So, I’m guessing that rats tend to be a bit slutty. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I’m not sure about rats, but male mice produce what is tactfully termed a “copulation plug” - i.e. the semen hardens into a lovely cement-like plug that completely blocks the vagina and prevents further mating. I’m sure that production of the organic glue-gun effect has something to do with their scrotal size. For those of us that work with mice, we depend on these plugs to know if a female has mated the previous night (mice mate near midnight). When we get new students in the lab, one of the first things we teach them is how to (gently!) open the mouse vagina and check her for plugs. The expression on these kids’ faces is priceless. Particularly the boys. mischievous ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/37 "2008-07-23T10:08:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Zebra** > > I see rats occasionally in the NYC subway system. > > Even at 10 feet away I can tell the males from the females. _nods knowingly_ You’ve been spending time at the 59th St stop, haven’t you? There are rats elsewhere in the subway, of course, but 59th seems to be the rat hub for the entire city. Whole families of rats run around down there on that center island thing between the uptown and downtown sections of the A/B/C/D lines. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193/38 "2008-07-23T16:12:28Z")
In bulls, testicular size is correlated with fertility. It is also a heritable trait. More info here about [big balled bulls.](http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/-89E7A8DAFEA417624A2568B30004C26A-D84473774162CFC3CA256BC7008115C7-4BF899EE55945B604A256DEA00273C4B-285B591274271B4CCA256C1700047DD8?open) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-google-rat-scrotum/457193.md?page=1)