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Rats are the most dominant species of rodents on earth, belonging to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. There are several species of rats in the world. Most rodents feed upon plants, but some feed upon animals as well. In general, there are 2 basic rat types. They are black or roof rats and Norway or brown rats. Both are thought to have originated in Asia and are now widely spread all over the globe.
Roof Rats
The black rats are sometimes called roof rats and ship rats, scientifically named Rattus Rattus. These rats are commonly black in color, slender, 16-21 cm long & weigh about 80-300 grams. Their tail is longer than the head and body & their nose & muzzle are pointed. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws are built to climb and create nests in upper parts of homes, rafters, attics & crossbeams of buildings.
Norway Rat
The Norway rat is sometimes known as the house rat, brown rat, gray rat, barn rat or wharf rat. It is the larger of the two mentioned here, and one of the best-known species. Rattus norvegicus is their scientific name. They are mostly grayish-brown, with a lighter colored stomach. A brown rat in full size is 18 to 26 cm long and weighs between 400 and 600 gm. Their nose & muzzle are blunt, and their tail is shorter than its body. They nest in deep burrows & prefer moist conditions.
These rats breed when they are 3 – 4 months of age. They breed up to 13 times each year & produce 1 to 22 in a litter. Black rats & brown rats eat about the same things. Their diet typically includes seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats and invertebrates. They eat about one-third of their weight in food every 24 hours.
They contaminate food, carry deadly diseases & damage structures. Some of the diseases potentially fatal to man that spread through rats are salmonella food poisoning, toxoplasmosis, Weil’s disease and plague.
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