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Vermin

Vermin are small creatures such as rats, bats, and lizards, and also the type of fish which are caught by fisherdwarves. They are below 2 kg (4 lb) in size. The presence of vermin can be noted if you are particularly observant, as they will occasionally blink into and out of view on the screen. The main distinctions between vermin and creatures are that vermin:

1. Do not attack and cannot be engaged in combat or trigger traps, except for those specifically made to trap them;
2. Do not usually provide meat or bones. Only creepy crawlers can be butchered;
3. Do not breed, but spontaneously appear in their natural environment or biome;
4. Are sometimes "hateable", meaning dwarves can have an anti-preference which gives them a negative thought when they see the hated vermin.

Vermin can be problematic as many types feed on stockpiles, and some species can even cause food to rot faster when left outside of a barrel or large pot. Vermin can be hunted by cats and peregrine falcons to reduce this problem.

Vermin can, however, be captured in animal traps, and can be trained as pets. A few captured vermin can be used to produce extracts using a glass vial and the animal dissector labor. Captured purring maggots can also be milked at a farmer's workshop.

Dwarves will eat vermin if no food source is available, resulting in an unhappy thought.