Sewer Rat Vs Roof Rat

Black rat for example without realizing that many describe the same two species.

Sewer rat vs roof rat.

Their burrows are found along building foundations beneath rubbish or woodpiles and in moist areas in and around gardens and fields. Female roof rats have 10 teats norway rats have heavy thick bodies blunt muzzles and small close set ears. Roof rats also have a longer tail a pointy snout and longer ears than norway rats. This type of rat is also called many other names including a brown rat sewer rat common rat street rat or wharf rat.

Roof rats are frequent visitors to yards and homes across the country. They climb across utility lines and branches to. Let s take a closer look at these animals and understand what they are where they are found and what makes them unique. Also called the brown rat street rat common rat or sewer rat the norway rat is a brown or gray rodent that measures 7 10 inches long with a tail that s slightly shorter than the length of its body.

While roof rats excel scaling your roof norway rats are powerful swimmers. Norway rats rattus norvegicus sometimes called brown or sewer rats are stocky burrowing rodents that are larger than roof rats. Because norway rats tend to be larger their droppings are also larger about 3 4 inch long whereas roof rat droppings are usually about half an inch. The most common home invading rodents norway rats and roof rats can be identified in several ways.

Roof rats hunt for food and shelter above ground. Tail shorter than. They also have shorter tails. Conspicuously shorter than their combined head and body their tails are carried with comparatively less movement than roof rats.

Their bodies are seven or eight inches in length though their bald scaly tails add up to ten more inches. Adult roof rats measure about eight inches in length while norway rats can be up to ten inches long. Distinguishing norway rats from roof rats. About seven to ten inches long.

Norway rats also called sewer rats brown rats and wharf rats are much larger and darker in color which ranges from a grayish brown to reddish brown. They can also be found living in burrows near docks warehouses and garbage dumps. Norway rats tend to look more well fed and rounder than roof rats with small eyes close set ears and a shorter tail. The norway rat can weigh nearly twice as much as a roof rat and be many times larger than the common mouse.

The main difference between roof rats and norway rats is their behavior. Other identifying traits include their pointed noses hairless ears and dark fur with light colored underbellies. People refer to rats by many names brown rat vs. The norway rat has other names such as brown rat wharf rat and sewer rat and these names should alert you to the fact that norway rats prefer to live in underground tunnels and cellars.

Additionally the roof rat typically has a much longer tail. The most common species of rats in the united states are the norway rat and the black rat. Their 6 inch to 8 1 2 inch tails are dark on top with lighter undersides.