Roof Rat (Black Rat) Rattus. Rattus Facts

1.       Will Feed On And Damage Almost Any Edible Thing
2.       It Can Also Be Very Damaging To Crops And Plants, Particularly Seeds.
3.       It Is Very Agile And Often Frequents Tree Tops Searching For Food And Nesting There In Cavities.
4.       A Slender Rat With Large Hairless Ears
5.       May Be Grey-Brown On The Back With Either A Similarly-Coloured Or Creamish-White Belly
6.       The Uniformly-Coloured Tail Is Always Longer Than The Head And Body Length Combined.
7.       Its Body Weight Is Usually Between 120 And 160 G But It Can Exceed 200 G.
8.       Is Native To India But Is Now Found Worldwide.
9.       Considered A Pest Worldwide,
10.   Once Established, Nearby Islands (Within 300-750 M) May Be Colonized By Black Rats Swimming
11.   Can Live On The Ground, Aboveground, And Belowground.
12.   Can Spend An Average Of 30-90% Of Their Night Activity On The Ground
13.   Common Den Sites Include Cavities In Trees Or Rocks, Beneath Woodpiles Or Dense Vegetation Cover, Fern And Stick-Lined Arboreal Nests, And In Burrows Belowground
14.   It Is Capable Of Destroying Up To 30% Of Crops Annually
15.   Of The 60 Or More Species In The Genus Rattus, R. Rattus Is Likely To Be The Most Damaging To Agricultural Crops Globally
16.   Is Omnivorous And Capable Of Eating A Wide Range Of Plant And Animal Foods.
17.   These Include Native Snails, Beetles, Spiders, Moths, Stick Insects, Cicadas And The Fruit Of Many Different Plants
18.   They Also Prey On The Eggs And Young Of Forest Birds
19.   Is Most Frequently Identified With Catastrophic Declines Of Birds On Islands.
20.   Removes And Eats The Fruit And Seed On The Ground And In The Canopy
21.   Trapping In A Hawaiian Forest Resulted In The Reduction Of Fruit Consumption And Seed Predation From
22.   46% To Just 4% For The Endangered Tree Cyanea Superba.
23.   It Is Almost Impossible To Tell Apart R. Rattus From R. Tanezumi
24.   Is Able To Breed Throughout The Year If Conditions Allow
25.   The Peak Breeding Seasons Are Summer And Autumn.
26.   Females Can Produce Up To 5 Litters In One Year.
27.   The Gestation Period Ranges Between 21 And 29 Days,
28.   Young Rats Are Able To Reproduce Within 3 To 5 Months Of Their Birth.
29.   Their Eyes Do Not Open Until 15 Days Of Age.
30.   Neonates Are Altricial, Like Most Rodents,
31.   Young Remain Hairless For Much Of Their Nursing Period.
32.   Weaning And Independence From The Mother Occur At About 3 To 4 Weeks Of Age
33.   Male Members Copulate With One Female And Then Move On To The Next,
34.   Males Don’t Contribute Much To The Care Of The Young.
35.   The Young Remain Relatively Helpless For About 2 Weeks
36.   Until Young Rats Reach Their Full Adult Size, They Stay In The Nest Built By Their Mother.
37.   Young Rats Are Capable Of Reproducing By About 3 To 5 Months Of Age.
38.   Tends To Live For About A Year In The Wild
39.   Annual Mortality Rate Of 91 To 97%.
40.   N Captivity, It Has Been Reported To Live For Up To 4 Years.
41.   Tends To Live In Polygynous Groups With Multiple Males And Females.
42.   Dominant Males Have Increased Mating Access And Mate More Frequently Than Do Subordinate Males.
43.   Females Are Usually More Aggressive Than Males,
44.   Females Have Been Reported To Be Less Mobile.
45.   Is Primarily Nocturnal
46.   It Builds Nests For Young Out Of Sticks And Leaves
47.   Sometimes Locates Nests In Burrows.
48.   Depending Upon Habitat, Individuals May Be Arboreal Or Terricolous
49.   Use Their Climbing Abilities To Make A Home In Upper Floors Of Buildings.
50.   Has A Highly Adapted Tail That Is Longer Than Its Body.
51.   Being An Avid Climber That Often Lives On Ships And In Arboreal Habitats
52.   Uses This Long Tail To Assist In Balance
53.   The Home Range Of R. Rattus Is Never More Than About 100 Square Meters.
54.   Territories Surround Food Sources And Are Defended.
55.   Is A Somewhat Vocal Animal, Producing Squeaks When Threatened Or Socializing
56.   Produces Oil Smears That Are Left Along Particular Areas To Illustrate Territorial Boundries.
57.   Hierarchy In Groups Is Determined Using Aggressive Threat Postures And Physcial Contact.
58.   Vision, Hearing, Touch, And Smell Are All Used In Sensing The Environment
59.   Generally Feeds On Fruit, Grain, Cereals, And Other Vegetation.
60.   It Is An Omnivore, However, And Will Feed On Insects Or Other Invertebrates If Necessary.
61.   It Consumes About 15 G/Day Of Food
62.   It Consumes 15 Ml/Day Of Water.
63.   Are Often Aggressive Toward Other Rats.
64.   Is A Disease Vector, Responsible For Bubonic Plague Outbreaks
65.   Is A Vector Of Up To 18 Species Of Gastrointestinal Helminths In Some Areas.
66.   Urinating And Defecating On Remains Of Their Meals
67.   Fleas That Live On These Rats Carry A Number Of Diseases That Can Seriously Harm Humans, Livestock, And Other Animals