Roof Rat Norway Rat

Additionally the roof rat typically has a much longer tail.

Roof rat norway rat.

Grease marks from the oil and dirt of rats often appear along walls next to runways. Roof rats have black fur with pale underbellies while norway rats have brownish gray coats. The norway rat is larger and more aggressive than the roof rat. Medium sized slender rodent with large ears and a long thin scaly tail generally longer than body.

A roof rat weighs between five and eight ounces and measures 12 18 inches long including its tail. Roof rats are not as common as norway rats. Norway rats are excellent swimmers who readily dive through water seals in toilets emerging in toilet bowls. Another way to differentiate between the two rodents is size.

Roof rats are expert climbers and gain access to buildings by climbing onto roofs from trees or overhead utility lines. As you might expect black rats are grayish black with a yellow belly. Norway rats would be considered bottom dwellers and they prefer to live in underground burrows basements tunnels etc. Faster and more agile than norway rats they use their tails for balance on electrical wires much like squirrels.

They differ in color as the norway rat is brown or reddish and the roof rat is black. Norway rats leave a hind foot track of about 3 4 1 inch. Norway rats carry many transmittable diseases many of which are extremely serious. Adult roof rats measure about eight inches in length while norway rats can be up to ten inches long.

Norway rat rattus norvegicus also called brown rat. In addition to the damage to your property if you have an infestation there are several health risks to you and your family that the rats can create. Norway rats close relatives of the roof rats and also known as old world rats or brown rats are less common than roof rats but still a threat. Its fur is shaggy and coarse with variation in colors.

As an adult the norway rat can weigh between 12 16 oz. Roof rat rattus rattus also called black rat ship rat. With a body length of 6 8 inches long. The main difference between roof rats and norway rats is their behavior.

Indoors runways appear as clean paths through dust or dirt. Splinter from the ninja turtles would be considered a norway rat since he lives in a sewer if this helps you get the picture. The nose is blunt with small ears and small eyes. The roof rat has a longer tail more slender body larger ears larger eyes and a more pointed nose than a norway rat.

They re typically found within 100 miles of the gulf coastline or the coastline of the western united states. Also called the black rat ship rat or old english rat the roof rat measures 6 8 inches long and has a tail that s slightly longer than its body. Many folks just refer to this species a black rat. Both roof rats and norway rats are considered vermin for good reasons.

Medium sized chunky rodent with a scaly tail that is shorter than the body.