Rats are rodents that belong to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. These are the most dominant species on earth. Plenty of rat species exist in the planet. Most rodents are herbivorous, but some are omnivorous. In general, there are 2 basic types of rats, specifically roof rats (black) and Norway rats (brown). Both are believed to have originated in Asia and are now widely spread all over the globe.

Ship Rats

The black rats are sometimes called roof rats & ship rats, scientifically named Rattus Rattus. They are normally black, have a slender built, 16-21 cm long & weigh about 80-300 gram. Their tail is longer than the head and body and their nose and muzzle are pointed. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws are built to climb and make nests in upper parts of dwellings, rafters, attics and crossbeams of buildings.

Barn Rat

The Norway rat is sometimes known as the house rat, brown rat, gray rat, barn rat or wharf rat. It is one of the best-known and is the larger of the two. Their scientific name is Rattus norvegicus. 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 and weighs between 400 and 600 gm. Their nose & muzzle are blunt, and they have a tail shorter than its body. They prefer moist conditions & nest in deep burrows.

At around three to four months of age, these rats start to breed. They breed up to 13 times a year and produce 1 to 22 in each litter. Brown rats and black rats eat about the same things. Their diet mainly consists of grains, veggies, fruits, cereals, meats, seeds, nuts and invertebrates. They eat about one-third of their weight in food everyday.

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

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