What is the meaning of Rattus rattus?

Noun. 1. Rattus rattus – common household pest originally from Asia that has spread worldwide. black rat, roof rat. rat – any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse.

Why is Rattus norvegicus?

Berkenhout gave the brown rat the binomial name Rattus norvegicus, believing it had migrated to England from Norwegian ships in 1728.

How did the black rat become invasive?

Black rats are thought to have invaded Futuna (central South Pacific) in 2007 or 2008, probably from a cargo ship (Theuerkauf et al., 2010).

What are the distinguishing features of Rattus norvegicus?

Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout); Norway Rat. Physical Characteristics: The Norway rat is a moderately large, robust, grayish or brownish rodent with coarse fur and a long, sparsely haired, scaly tail. The tail is shorter than the combined length (approximately 80 percent) of the head and body.

How is the norvegicus rat used in research?

Although R. norvegicus is an unintentional introduction outside its native range, it is the primary rat used in laboratories for research, in an in-bred albino form. The widespread use of R. norvegicus as a research model does provide insight for scientists working on the invasive wild form (such as mapped genome).

Where did Rattus norvegicus ( brown rat ) originate from?

R. norvegicus is believed to have originated in northeast China. R. norvegicus colonised Europe in the middle ages.

Can a Rattus norvegicus live as a pet?

It is capable of swimming 2.5km. R. norvegicus is the primary rat used in laboratory research, but the inbred albino laboratory form is unlikely to pose any significant invasive risk. R. norvegicus is also a common pet, and this form may pose a slightly greater invasive risk, although it is unlikely to be a pet outside its current introduced range.

Is the Norway rat a nonnative roof rat?

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a member of the family Muridae and is very similar to the nonnative roof rat (Rattus rattus).