Roof Rat Biology

The roof rats become sexually mature in just a couple months.

Roof rat biology.

Roof rats can be black or brown. Roof rats may be identified by the following physical features. The norway rat is typically white with gray underfur blunted muzzles short ears and shorter tails. Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.

Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length. The black rat also known as ship rat roof rat or house rat is a common long tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus rattus in the subfamily murinae. Roof rats are sometimes found living in or around. The roof rat appears sleek and graceful.

These rodents have long tails large ears and eyes and pointed noses. Roof rats have evolved to prefer to eat wheat corn seeds vegetables and fruit. The black rat is black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside. Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail.

Roof rats can fit through holes as small as one half inch in diameter. It is sometimes kept as a pet. Their undersides are often white gray or black. They will nest in trees attics voids along the roof line and in ceilings.

The two most common rats in the pacific northwest are the roof rat and the norway rat. Rat behavior and biology anne s rat page welcome to my website about rats. Because the roof rats climb well common nesting sites are above the ground. Because they prefer to be high in the air these rodents may climb on power lines or tree branches to get on the roof.

The roof rat has a pointed nuzzle and ears that are long enough to be pulled over its eyes. Females become sexually mature in 68 90 days with 5 8 pups per litter. Roof rats habits and biology. The roof rat is typically all one uniform color ranging from white buff or gray with pointed muzzles long ears and long scaly tails.

The norway rat is the more common of the two rodent species. The roof rat s adult head and body length is about 13 to 18 inches long including its tail. Landscaped residential or industrial areas provide good habitat as does vegetation of riverbanks and streams. They will often move into sugarcane and citrus groves.

It likely originated in the indian subcontinent but is now found worldwide. How did i get roof rats. I have written a number of articles about rat behavior and biology. They have 4 6 litters per year.

Roof rats are more aerial than norway rats in their habitat selection and often will live in trees or on vine covered fences. They ll sometimes occasionally nest on the ground under piles of debris in stacks of firewood in abandoned vehicles and in other protected places. It is a generalist omnivore and a serious pest to farmers because it feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops. Roof rat biology and health significance in nature roof rats are preferentially tree dwellers.

But they feel more comfortable in higher places. These articles are based on my study of the scientific literature available on rats and on my own observations of rat behavior.