With Halloween right around the corner, October's Species of the Month is another creepy crawly. You might be afraid of spiders or bats, but no one wants to see a rat in the house. This month we profile the ubiquitous black rat (AKA house rat, AKA roof rat, AKA ship rat), destroyer of crops, chewer of things, and spreader of plague.
Scientific name: Rattus rattus
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
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| Halloween rats from Pintrest |
Scientific name: Rattus rattus
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Order: Rodentia (rodents)
Range: Worldwide; native to India and Southeast Asia
Habitat: Almost anywhere
Lifespan: Average 1 year, up to 4 years
Diet: Omnivorous, but mainly plant-based (fruits, grains, seeds)
Predators: House cats, birds of prey, foxes, coyotes
Conservation Status: No special protection
Other facts: The black rat was spread around the world by travelers. They are also called ship rats because if their affinity for sailing to new homes on distant shores. The moniker roof rat comes from their climbing skills. They are an invasive pest everywhere outside of their native range, ruining food stores by soiling what they don't consume. They were a disease vector during the plague outbreaks of Medieval Europe, carrying fleas that hosted the virus. While plague is not as serious a threat as it was in the Dark Ages, the fleas on a rat can still spread other diseases to humans and livestock. A similar species, the Norway rat, is just as widespread and will kill the smaller black rat. Despite the headaches caused by both rats, they are important links in the food chain now that they've become established. Hawks, owls, coyotes, and foxes are among their main predators.
This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web once again.
nm1:
nm2: https://www.aepma.com.au/PestDetail/96/Black%20Rat
Habitat: Almost anywhere
Lifespan: Average 1 year, up to 4 years
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| Black rat (Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel) |
Diet: Omnivorous, but mainly plant-based (fruits, grains, seeds)
Predators: House cats, birds of prey, foxes, coyotes
Conservation Status: No special protection
Other facts: The black rat was spread around the world by travelers. They are also called ship rats because if their affinity for sailing to new homes on distant shores. The moniker roof rat comes from their climbing skills. They are an invasive pest everywhere outside of their native range, ruining food stores by soiling what they don't consume. They were a disease vector during the plague outbreaks of Medieval Europe, carrying fleas that hosted the virus. While plague is not as serious a threat as it was in the Dark Ages, the fleas on a rat can still spread other diseases to humans and livestock. A similar species, the Norway rat, is just as widespread and will kill the smaller black rat. Despite the headaches caused by both rats, they are important links in the food chain now that they've become established. Hawks, owls, coyotes, and foxes are among their main predators.
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| Black rat (Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association) |
This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web once again.
nm1:
nm2: https://www.aepma.com.au/PestDetail/96/Black%20Rat
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