The Many Types Of Rats

Rats are the most dominant species of rodents on earth, belonging to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. Plenty of rat species exist in the world. Most rodents feed on plants, but some feed upon animals as well. Generally speaking, there are two basic rat types. They are black or roof rats & Norway or brown rats. Both are thought to have originated in Asia and are now widely distributed throughout the planet.

Roof Rats

The black rats are sometimes called roof rats & ship rats, scientifically named Rattus Rattus. These rats are commonly black in color, slender, 16-21 cm long and weigh about 80-300 grams. Their tail is longer than the head & body & their nose and muzzle are pointed. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws are built to climb & build nestles in higher parts of homes, rafters, attics & crossbeams of buildings.

Brown 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 2 mentioned here, and one of the best-known species. Rattus norvegicus is their scientific name. Their other name refers to their grayish-brown body, with a lighter colored stomach. A fully-grown brown rat is 18 to 26 cm long and weighs between 400 & 600 grams. Their nose & muzzle are blunt, and they have a tail shorter than its body. They nest in deep burrows & prefer moist conditions.

These rats breed when they are three to four months of age. They breed 1 to 13 times each year & produce up to 22 in each litter. Brown rats and black rats eat about the same things. Their diet typically consists of grains, veggies, fruits, cereals, meats, seeds, nuts and invertebrates. They consume about a third of their weight in food every 24 hours.

They contaminate food, carry deadly diseases and damage structures. Some of the diseases potentially deadly to man that spread through rats are toxoplasmosis, Weil’s disease, plague and salmonella food poisoning.

Learn more about the most effective methods of eradicating rat and pest control from your homes or offices.

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