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Image by Federico Respini

Black Rat

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  • Common Name: Black Rat / Roof Rat / Ship Rat

  • Family Name: Muridae

  • Scientific Name: Rattus Rattus

  • Status: Introduced, Not Protected

  • Average Size: 18cm, not including an 18cm tail

  • Average Lifespan: 15 months

  • Litter: 5 to 10

  • Gestation: 21 to 23 days

  • Weaned: 20 days

  • Background: Originating in India and Southeast Asia, introduced to Australia in the late 18th century from shipwrecks and the pearling industry

  • Breeding: Polygynous mating system, can produce 3 to 6 litters per year.

  • Impacts: Predation on native species, competition for resources, potential disease transmission, potentially leading to extinctions and declines in biodiversity

  • Feeding: Omnivorous, preferring fruit, grains, and other plant materials, can also eat insects or other invertebrates.

  • Black rats are smaller and more slender than brown rats and have a longer tail relative to their body length.

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