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Wild Rats. In the wild, the life expectancy for a rat is much lower: 95 percent of wild rats die before they reach their first birthday. A 1-year-old rat would be around 30 years old in human terms. The most common cause of death in wild rats comes from predators, such as owls, hawks and foxes.
When an animal can survive for longer, there's a selection for genes that provide longevity, because they can provide a real advantage, Jay Olshanksy, a public health researcher who studies aging, told me last year for an article about the naked mole rat, a rodent that can live for up to 30 years.