"Monkey Rat" is slang for Opossum. To those who have never gotten up close and personal with an opossum, this slang term may seem silly. However, as more and more South American spieces are available through pet stores, more and more people are familiar with the monkey-like hands and feet, and the prehensile (grabbing) tail of Opossums.

When you eat dirt for the first time and leave your family to build a shack in the woods