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The best-known Rattus species are the black rat (R. rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats and originated in Asia . Rats are bigger than most Old World mice , which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild.
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat and Norwegian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown or grey rodent with a body length of up to 28 cm (11 in) long, and a tail slightly shorter than that. It weighs between 140 ...
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 1 January 2025. There are 2 pending revisions awaiting review. Order of mammals Rodent Temporal range: Late Paleocene – recent Pre๊ ๊ O S D C P T J K Pg N Capybara Springhare Golden-mantled ground squirrel North American beaver House mouse Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom ...
The marsh rice rat is active during the night, makes nests of sedge and grass, and occasionally builds runways. Its diverse diet includes plants, fungi, and a variety of animals. Population densities are usually below 10 per ha (four per acre) and home ranges vary from 0.23 to 0.37 ha (0.57 to 0.91 acres), depending on sex and geography.
When searching for food is dangerous or unproductive, animals often use food stores to supply all or part of their diet. This is a feasible strategy to avoid food shortage. It is the habit of collecting and storing both food and nonfood items that has earned the eastern woodrat is other common name of "pack-rat" or "trade rat". [17]
Rats are a common food item for snakes, both in the wild, and as pets. Adult rat snakes and ball pythons, for example, are fed a diet of mostly rats in captivity. Rats are readily available (live or frozen) to individual snake owners, as well as to pet shops and reptile zoos, from many suppliers.
That is about four times the weight of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), though an adult muskrat is only slightly longer. It is almost certainly [ clarification needed ] the most prominent and heaviest member of the diverse family Cricetidae , which includes all voles , lemmings , and most mice native to the Americas, and hamsters in Eurasia.
Rats are also associated with human dermatitis because they are frequently infested with blood feeding rodent mites such as the tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) and spiny rat mite (Laelaps echidnina), which will opportunistically bite and feed on humans, [57] where the condition is known as rat mite dermatitis.