The goal of our project is to describe the behavior of rats. For this purpose we are using wireless sensor networks, monitoring various quantities that yield important information to complement current knowledge on the behavioral repertoire of rats. So far, on the sensing and processing side we have developed innovative, minimalist approaches pointing in two directions: vocalization analysis and movement tracking. On the data collection and routing side we have adapted to the known burrowing habits of rats by developing new methods for synchronization and data aggregation under the paradigm of sporadic connectivity in a sparse, dynamic network.