Pest Guides
- Rodents
BROWN RAT / ROOF RATRattus norvegicus
Appearance
- Up to 15 3/4" in length, with a tail shorter than the head and body.
- 350 - 500g in weight.
- Blunt nose, small ears and a thicker body when compared to the Black Rat (Rattus rattus).
Lifecycle
- 7 - 8 young per litter; 3 - 6 litters a year.
- Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
- 10 - 12 weeks from brith to sexual maturity.
Habits
- Usually ground living and burrowing, but sometimes climbs. The only species to occur in sewers in [enter your country name].
- Preferred food is cereals.
- Will eat around 30g of food a day and drink 60ml.
BLACK RAT / NORWAY RATRattus rattus
Appearance
- 6 3/8" - 9 7/16" in length, with a tail longer than the head and body.
- 150 - 200g in weight
- Pointed nose, large ears and a slender body when compared to the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus).
Lifecycle
- 5 - 10 young per liter; 3 - 6 litters a year.
- Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
- 12 - 16 weeks from brith to sexual maturity.
Habits
- Quite Rare. Appearance confined mainly to ports.
- Often climbs, agile, rarely burrowing and rarely outdoors in Northern America.
- Will eat around 15g of food a day and drink 15ml.
HOUSE MOUSEMus domesticus
Appearance
- 2 3/4" - 3 3/4" in lenght, with a tail around the same length.
- 12 - 30g in weight
- Their relatively small feet and head and large eyes and ears distinguish them from a young brown rat (Rattus norvegicus).
Lifecycle
- 4 - 16 young per litter; 7 - 8 litters a year.
- Gestation period of about 3 weeks.
- 8 - 12 weeks from birth to sexual maturity.
Habits
- Usually ground living and burrowing, but often climbs.
- Preferred food is cereals.
- Will eat around 3g of food a day and can survive without any additional water. They will drink up to 3ml a day if their diet is particularly dry.
