Black Rats

The black rat (Rattus rattus) is the closest relative to the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) who we know as our fancy rats.

As you can see the tail of the black rat is significantly longer than the one of the brown rat.

Black rats are much livlier and quicker than brown rats, wich this little fellow showed.

Another thing differenting black rats and brown rats are that black rats have larger ears that are not partly covered in fur as the brown rat's.

Black rats and brown rats eat about the same things.

Black rats are more used to living close to man and should be very tame if used as pets..

The nose of the black rat is more pointed and their build is smaller snd slimmer. The body is 16-21 cm long compared to the 18-25 cm of the brown rat while the tail is 19-25 cm compared to the tail of the brown rat at 16-21 cm so the toal length of the body and tail are almost equal.

Black rats are better climbers than the brown rat. Their paws are made to be able to climb and they can almost litterary go up a wall.

In the wild black rats live up trees, in attics and so on, hence the name "roof rat" which is sometimes used as well as "ship rat".

The size of the black and brown rats differ quite much. A normal weigh of a brown rat is 150-600 gram while the black rat weighs about 80-300 gram.

Claire Jordan have a page about Rattus rattus that contains more information.