| Kingdom -Animalia | Family - Muridae |
| Phylum - Chordata | Subfamily - Murinae |
| Class - Mammalia | Genus - Rattus |
| Order - Rodentia | Species - R. norregicus |
| Suborder - Myomorpha | - R. rattus |
History
The genus Rattus contains from 78 to 570 speecies, (depending on which classification used.) Only two species have been domesticated and used for research and as pets; they are the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (Rattus norregicus).
The black rat is also known as the climbing rat, roof rat, and gray rat. It is believed to have come from Southern Asia, and was the major reservoir for the Black Plague during the 1200 and 1300s. It came over to North America in the 1500s; and is found on both coast and throughout the southeastern states.
The brown rat is also known as the barn rat, Norway rat, sewer rat, and the wharf rat. It originated in Eastern Asia and Northern China, and sprend to North America and Euope in the 1500s.
Rats are everywhere! They have been able to successfully adapt to many habitats, enviroments, and food sources (they are also able to reproduce rapidly) all of which has allowed them to be EVERYWHERE.
Rats in the wild are pests. They cause horrible damage; destroying fruits, vegtables, eggs, stored grain, and attacking other animals + humans. They also damage buildings, and carry diseases.
with the white albino laboratory rats there have been many important breakthroughs in the fields of medicine, biology, and psychology research.
Description
The Black Rat has a head and body length of seven to eight inches, and weigh four to twelve ounces. The tail is longer then its length, and the ears are haft the length of its head. Their color is black to dark gray with a brown or gray-white underside. *It's a climer and a jumper.*
The Brown Rat is larger then the black rat (head and body length= seven to ten inches), and the tail is shorter then its length. It weighs weven to seventeen ounces, and its ears are shorter and more rounded. Thei color is a dark to gray-brown on the back, with lighter colors of brown and gray undersides. *It is a tunneler-burrower, and likes sewers and basements.*
Varieties are due to mutations and selective breeding of black and brown rats. The white laboratory rat comes from albino strains. Creams, fawns, and light gray, and the hooded rat are all common varieties now-a-days.
The hooded rat has a colored (brown, black, fawn or cream) head and dorsal stripe on a white body.
The caped rat bariety has just a colored head, on a white body.
The variegated rat variety has a colored head and colored spots all over the body (except the head), on a white body.
The dalmation rat variety has colored spots, on its whole body, on a white body.
The masked rat varitey has a band of color over and around each eye, (like a "Zorro" mask), on a solid white body.
Habits
Rats are nimble climbers (especially the black rat). They use their tail for balance and to help them hold onto things. Being able to jump up to two feet doesn't hurt them either. They are superier swemmers and can stay submerged under water for up to three minutes.
Rats are very curious. They learn their owner's voice and will "come running." They also eill stand on their hind legs to look at their surroundings at a beeter viewing point.
Rats are suprisingly clean and odor-free; they enjoy grooming and cleaning trhemselves and each other. If you change the bedding regularly, very little odor is noticed.
Domesticated rats will rarely bite, unless they are frightened, suprised, you're violating their spacce (females are very protective to their litter- + litter's space), are being handled roughly or are being abused.
Rats live about three years and like to be kept with other rats, (this is called gregariousim.)
Some Other Info.
Rat Links:
Rat Bacterial Diseases
Angelfire
Special Thanks To/ Resources:
Small Animal Care & Management, by Dean M. Warren.
