General Description
Large, stocky rat. Body fur light to dark brown, cream to grey underneath. Feet pink-grey. Tail is thick, naked, and less than or equal to the length of the body, with obvious overlapping rings of scales. Body up to 25 cm; tail up to 21 cm.
Biology
Brown Rats are mostly nocturnal, active on the ground, and proficient swimmers. They are commensal with humans where they are often a pest.
Distribution
Worldwide. Scattered populations around cities and towns in Australia, but rare in tropical or arid areas.
Habitat
Range of areas, including river banks, sewers, drains and urban places. They are primarily associated with human occupation.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Brown grizzled fur, tail brown, small ears.
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Colours
Brown
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Habitats
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Where To Look
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When Active
Nocturnal, Diurnal
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Diet
Omnivore
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Diet Categories
Fruit, Fungi, Insects, Seeds, Plants, Carrion
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Endemicity
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Brown Rat
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Other Names
Sewer Rat , Norway Rat
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Suborder
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Superfamily
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Family
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Subfamily
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Genus
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Species Name
norvegicus
