| Description:
The Norway rat is the largest
of the commensal (i.e., living
in close association with humans)
rodents. The head and body are
seven to ten inches long and
the tail is an additional six
to eight inches. It has a stocky
body and weighs seven to 18
ounces. The fur is coarse, shaggy,
and brown with some black hairs.
The muzzle is blunt, eyes and
ears are small, and the tail,
which is bi-colored, is shorter
than the head and body combined.
Norway rat droppings are up
to 3/4. inch long with blunt
ends.
Habits:
Rats are nocturnal. They are
shy about new objects and
very cautious when things
change in their environment
and along their established
runs. Outdoors, Norway rats
prefer to nest in burrows
in the soil, e.g., under sidewalks
and concrete pads, stream/river
banks, railroad track beds,
next to buildings, in low
ground cover, etc. The burrows
typically have one main entry
hole and at least one escape
hole. The rats easily enter
buildings through 1/2-inch
and larger gaps. In buildings
they prefer to nest in the
lower levels of the building,
e.g., crawlspace, basement,
loading dock and sewers. They
prefer foods such as meat,
fish, and cereals and require
a separate nonfood water source.
Their foraging range is 100
to 150 feet from their nest.
Rats are associated with various
diseases and occasionally
bite. Plague is of little
concern because it has not
occurred in rats in the United
States for many years. However,
leptospirosis is vectored
by rats, and, thus, is a disease
of great concern. This disease
is acquired by eating food
and drinking water which are
contaminated with infected
rat urine. Rats also cause
significant structural damage
and product destruction.
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