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The Black Rat (Rattus rattus, also known as the Ship Rat, Roof Rat or House Rat) is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus and the subfamily murinae (Old World rodents). The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe in the 8th Century and spreading with Europeans across the world. Today it is again largely confined to warmer areas, having been supplanted by the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in cooler regions.
Despite its name it comes in several colour forms. Compared to the Brown Rat, it is a poorer swimmer, but a better climber. It is usually black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside. A typical rat will be 20 cm long with a further 20 cm of tail. It is agile and climbs well, tending even to flee upwards. It is nocturnal and omnivorous, with a preference for grains although it spoils more than it consumes. In a suitable environment it will breed throughout the year, with a female producing three to six litters a year of up to twenty young. A rat can live for up to four years. Social groups of up to sixty can be formed.
It is a carrier of a number of diseases, of which bubonic plagueBubonic plague is an infectious disease that is believed to have caused several epidemics or pandemics throughout history. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague which causes swollen, tender lymph glands (called buboes); other forms are Septicem, typhusThis is about the disease Typhus. See Typhus (monster) for the monster in Greek mythology, or typhoid fever for a totally different disease that because of its similar name is often confused with it. Typhus is a name given to several similar diseases caus, and trichinosisTrichinosis also called trichinellosis (TRICK-a-NELL-o-sis), is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game products infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs worldwide, but is most c are the most well known.
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