| Description:
The roof rat is a commensal
(i.e., living in close association
with humans) rodent. The head
and body are six to eight inches
long and the tail is an additional
seven to ten inches. It has
a slight body which weighs five
to nine ounces. The fur is soft,
smooth, and brown in color with
some black hairs. The muzzle
is pointed, eyes and ears are
large, and the scaly tail, which
is uniformly dark, is longer
than the head and body combined.
Roof rat droppings are up to
1/2-inch long and spindle-shaped
with pointed 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, roof rats
prefer to nest in trees and,
occasionally, in burrows and
vegetation. The rats easily
enter buildings through 1/2-inch
and larger gaps. In buildings
they prefer to nest in the
upper levels of the building,
and, occasionally, in basements
and sewers. They prefer foods
such as fruits, vegetables,
and cereals. 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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