Posted by Rex Pollard | Posted in mosquito | Posted on 27-01-2010
Tags: ant, bed bug, business, cockroach, home improvement, mosquito, pest control, pests, rat, termite
Rats are rodents that belong to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. These are the most dominant species on earth. Plenty of rat species exist in the world. Most rodents are herbivorous, but some are omnivorous. In general, there are two basic types of rats, specifically roof rats (black) & Norway rats (brown). Both are thought to have originated in Asia and are now widely distributed throughout the globe.
Black Rats
The black rats are sometimes called roof rats & ship rats, scientifically named Rattus Rattus. They are normally black, have a slender built, 16-21 cm long & weigh about 80-300 gram. Their nose & muzzle are pointed, and their tail is longer than the head & body. They are called roof rats because they are climbers. Their paws are built to climb and create nests in upper parts of dwellings, rafters, attics and crossbeams of buildings.
Barn Rat
The brown rat, which is also known as the Norway rat, house rat, gray rat, barn rat, & wharf rat, is one of the best-known & is the larger of the 2. Their scientific name is Rattus norvegicus. Their other name refers to their grayish-brown body, with a lighter colored stomach. A brown rat in full size is 18 to 26 cm long & weighs between 400 and 600 gm. Their tail is shorter than its body and their nose and muzzle are blunt. They prefer moist conditions and nest in deep burrows.
These rats breed when they are three to four months of age. They breed up to 13 times each year and produce 1 to 22 in each litter. Black rats and brown rats eat about the same things. Their diet usually includes grains, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats, seeds, nuts & invertebrates. They eat about one-third of their weight in food every 24 hours.
They damage structures, contaminate food & carry fatal diseases. Some of the diseases potentially fatal to man that spread through rats are Weil's disease, plague, salmonella food poisoning & toxoplasmosis.
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