THE Common Rat Rattus norvegicus
Large size: pointed muzzle: Long scaly tail
Head/body length: about 280mm, tail 80 to 100 of body
Weight: average approx 500grammes
Common rats are mainly nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. The have a nest usually below ground but nests can be amongst sacks or straw bales.
Common rates are opportunist feeders and prefer starch rich or protein rich foods but they will eat almost anything that is left lying around
Common Rates live in very dense populations which compose of mostly young individuals. The females in these dense populations are pregnant throughout the year with litter sizes of between 6 and 11 babies.
Common Rats are widespread in all Parts of the United Kingdom where they spread from eastern USSR into the British Isles during the middle of the18th century where they mostly replaced the Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
Mortality is high among young rats who are fair game to most predatory animals. Larger rats may deter weasels and owls due to their aggressive behaviour. The maximum life expectancy of a Common Rat is about 1 year though very few survive so long.
Common rats in terms of success are in a league of there own due to the fact that they have developed the ability to live in such close association with man
Common Rats are offered no protected by any laws and are listed on the Pest Act of 1949 which requires notification of local authorities of substantial numbers And due to the contamination of foodstuffs have become a major problem throughout the world. They are also a vector of some human diseases particularly leptospirosis among rice workers in Spain and Italy.
On the credit side has served man for decades as a laboratorial animal