Image: Black Rat juvenile
Black Rat juvenile
- Photographer:
- Jane Vernon
- Rights:
- © Jane Vernon
- Common name:
- Black rat
- Scientific name:
- Rattus rattus
- Family:
- Muridae
- Order:
- Rodentia
Additional information
Despite its name, the Black Rat is usually brown or grey. A distinctive characteristic of rats that helps distinguish them from similarly sized carnivorous marsupials is their front teeth: a pair of chisel shaped incisors with hard yellow enamel on the front surfaces. Other characteristics that identify a Black Rat from other rats include the following:
Long pointed head (can be more rounded in juvenile).
Large thin ears (20mm+) which reach middle of eye when bent forward.
Charcoal grey to black or light brown above, cream or white below; sleek smooth coat.
Scaly tail, much longer than head and body.
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