Rattus rattus
Taxonomic position
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| Literature database |
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| 216 articles sorted by: |
| • year (recent ones first) |
| • research topics |
| • countries/regions |
| • host plants |
| • list of natural enemies |
Author: H. Zell
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rattus rattus (Linnaeus) - (black rat)
is one of the most common vertebrate pests with a world-wide distribution. Even remote islands have been invaded when the rat followed human visitors and settlers. The black rat is very important as a storage pest and as a reservoir of human diseases, which includes lethal diseases like the bubonic plague. The origin of the species might have been Asia, but it is known from Europe since prehistoric times. Rodenticides in form of baits are the only practical control option.
The typical adult is about 35-40 cm long, slightly smaller than the brown rat, see below for other differences. This includes the tail which is approximately as long as the body. The colour is mostly black but different color forms exist. A pregnancy lasts about 3-4 weeks and will usually produce a litter size of 5-10.
| Vernacular names | |
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| • Deutsch: | Hausratte Dachratte |
| • English: | black rat roof rat ship rat |
| • Français: | rat noir |
For details see the respective page in Wikipedia.
The literature database currently contains 216 publications for Rattus rattus. (See box above/on left.)
- Other images of Rattus rattus (Wikimedia Commons - click to enlarge)
differences to Norway rat
distribution map
