Academically speaking, rats are merely mammals commonly called rodents that belong to the subspecies Muridae and the genus Rattus. In the animal world, the rat is recognized as the most prevalent representative of the rodent genus. It is widely considered that the two most well known rat species, the Norway (or brown) rats and the black rats, trace their origins back to the Asian continent. These two types of rats have now proliferated in nearly all parts of the planet.
Black Rats
Roof rats (known as Rattus Rattus) are also called black rats & ship rats. They are normally black, have a slender built, 16-21 cm long and weigh about 80-300 gram. Their tail is longer than the head & body and their nose & muzzle are pointed. They are called roof rats because they are climbers. Their paws enable them to climb and build nests in upper parts of homes, attics, rafters & 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 two 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 brown rat in full size is 18 to 26 cm long & weighs between 400 and 600 gm. Their tail is shorter than its body and their nose and muzzle are blunt. They prefer moist conditions and nest in deep burrows.
These rats breed when they are 3 – 4 months of age. They breed 1 to 13 times a year & produce 1 to 22 in each litter. Brown rats & black rats eat about the same things. Their diet usually includes seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats & invertebrates. They eat about one-third of their weight in food every 24 hours.
Rats are known carriers of fatal illnesses and germs, which are all fatal to the health of human beings, and rats can also be destructive to property. Some of the illnesses potentially deadly to humans that spread through rats are plague, salmonella food poisoning, toxoplasmosis and Weil’s disease.
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