{{Lore}}
The giant rat is an enormous version of the common [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rat black rat (''rattus rattus'')]. They are approximately 2 feet tall, about 4 feet long excluding the tail, and have tails that are about as long as their bodies, if not slightly longer (4' to 4'3" on average). These creatures weigh between 60 50 and 80 70 pounds, depending on the age and sex, with females skewing a little lighter than males. Amusingly, one of their best-known predators, the [[lynx]], is about the same size.
Despite being much bigger than their regular cousins, giant rats are just as wary of conflict, and prefer to escape dangerous situations over fighting. While their bites and claws can cause nasty wounds if allowed to connect, they rarely, if ever, use them, instead using their excellent natural agility to get out of sticky situations and crawl through the tightest corners.
Although giant rats are stereotyped in fiction as a common enemy for low-leveled adventurers, they are often pointless targets in the Mazes, as they are neither dangerous nor valuable for meat. However, they are fairly intelligent creatures that can become trusting of sapients who feed them or treat them with kindness. Many individuals have adopted giant rats as pets, and the individuals that did become pets are considered to be loyal and affectionate creatures by their owners, if somewhat fragile to enemy fire. They also have the advantage of requiring relatively little maintenance - they are omnivorous and capable of digesting just about any type of human food, even the most processed kinds.