Rats are scavangers and will eat most anything, dead, although if there is not enough food around they are known to eat living, even human, tissue.

Thanks!

On a related note, should I definitely think that these snails were eaten by rats? We also have mice, raccoons, an occasional skunk, etc wandering through - Could it have been one of them?

See, I'd like to think that our snail problem is on the decline, but I killed the rats. Not that I would have kept them had I known that they like snails, it's just fun to learn more about the critters in your yard.

Snails are pretty low on the food chain. Could be about any of the critters that you mentioned.

French people eat them as well. Got any French people living in your woods? Tell tale signs include empty wine bottles and makeup kits for mimes.

Do you have possums? We had a baby possum move into our urban yard a few years back, attracted by food we'd left out for analley cat. She became quite the honored guest after I spied on her and saw her slinking around my porch stopping to gobble down the slugs she found under and on my container plants.

Kristin

Or maybe Cajun rats sucking the heads through the shells and then eating the rest.

Your rats sound like a bunch of real gourmands, seeds of acorn squash and escargots. I'm glad you killed 'em though, I think I dated a couple of them a while back.

Cheryl

"I wondered if rats eat snails."

yes rats do eat snails. one of the tell tale signs of rats is snail shells piled up and youll also find snail shells in their nests.

TG

I noticed a rat in my garden recently . I noticed the snail and slug problem is also way down. I guess thats the only benefit of having rats around.

Yes, rats eat snails. That's how your mechanic can tell if you have a rat problem under your hood.