The Garlic Rat of Alabama, also known as the Onion Rat of Arkansas, is found in most of the southern states of the USA. The main parts of this rat’s diet are wild plants, mainly  the Wild Onion/Garlic.

All parts of this particular Wild Onion/Garlic plant are edible, the underground bulbs, the long, thin leaves, the blossoms, and the bulblets on top. It’s called both names because while it is a wild onion it has a very strong garlic aroma and the rat eats all elements of this plant. This aroma transfers itself to the rat, both in terms of breath and in terms of body odour. This both hinders and benefits the rat.

This is an extract from the book Animals Evolution Avoided