 Completely nocturnal, the giant rats live in burrows up to across with as many as six entrances which, even those in regular use, are kept blocked by dirt and leaves to discourage predation by the Malagasy ground boa.The other main traditional predatory threat is the puma-like fossa but increasingly feral dogs and cats introduced to the island are hunting them as well.When foraging, the rats move on all fours, searching the forest floor for fallen fruit, nuts, seeds, and leaves.