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Roof rat (Rattus rattus), also called black rat, ship rat |
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), also called brown rat |
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Overall appearance |
Medium-sized, slender rodent with large ears and a long, thin scaly tail (generally longer than body). |
Medium-sized chunky rodent with a scaly tail that is shorter than the body. |
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Color |
Black, gray, or brown |
Brown or gray |
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Weight |
up to 200 g |
400-500 g |
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Ears |
Large, creased, flimsy |
Small, sturdy |
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Tail |
Tail longer than body, uniform in width. Tail is slender and prehensile. Charcoal grey. |
Tail shorter than body, fatter at base. Tail is fat and not prehensile. Pink or tan. |
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Muzzle |
Narrow, sharp and long |
Blunt, broad, and short. Heavy cheeks. |
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Locomotion |
Agile climber, doesn't like swimming. |
Not as good a climber as roof rat, but good swimmer. |
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Habitat |
World-wide in warm climates. Human buildings, generally high up: attics, rafters, crossbeams of buildings. Form runways along pipes and wires |
World-wide. Human buildings, generally low down:
in basements, on the ground floor, in sewers and subways, in
burrows under buildings. |
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