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RATS

Rattus and related genera that differ from the murid mice by their usually considerably larger size and by features of the teeth. Living in and about human habitations and in ships, rats became naturalized by commerce in most parts of the world. Rats are destructive pests consuming or destroying vast quantities of food and other goods and acting as vectors of various diseases (as bubonic plague).

Source: Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.






Photo from America Zoo.
www.americazoo.com

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Roof Rats
Rattus rattus

Characteristics – 
Larger rodents that may grow to a body length of 10 to 12 inches. Nose sharply pointed, large eyes, large, thin ears. Roof rats are expert climber and wire scaler; frequents cane fields, macadamia nut, coffee, papaya, and banana groves; nests in attics of buildings, trees, banana bunches, and abandoned burrows of Norway rats. Moderately susceptible to plague infection.

Color:  Varies from grey to jet black; underside grey, grey-white, or white.

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University of Hawaii - LAS \www.hawaii.edu/LAS

Norway Rats
Rattus norvegicus

Characteristics – 
Largest of the rats in Hawaii, weighs 10 to 18 ounces, measurers 8 to 10 inches long. Tail stout, shorter than head and body combined. Head wide, nose blunt, ears small, eyes small, cuncky in appearance; in female, six pairs of nipples. A burrowing species in ground, rubbish piles, garbage dumps and under walks and docks; frequents sewers, pis styes, and chicken coops. May cause great damage to cane fields. Vicious. High degree of resistance to plague infection.

Color:  Reddish brown to grey to black; underside whitish colo.

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