Rattus rattus
| Roof Rat
(Rattus rattus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Murinae |
| Tribe: | Rattini |
| Subgenus: | Rattus |
| Binomial details | |
| Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Roof Rat (Rattus rattus) is a large, slender rat with a long tail. It is found in a wide range of human-made habitats, but its distribution is not generally well understood. The range map to the right should be used to generally understand the range of the species in North America and should not be used to make determinations about the species presence or absence on small islands or at the northern limit of its estimated range. This is a wide-ranging species and its range will likely continue to expand with human expansion and climate change.
Description
From Best & Hunt (2020): "Roof rats are large rats with a slender body. Pelage is dark grayish-brown to nearly black on the dorsum and gray to white on the ventrum. The tail is scaly, almost hairless, and is more than 50% of total length. Ears are prominent and sparsely haired. Eyes are dark."
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
| Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Best & Dusi (2014) | 359 (332–406) (n=7) | 185 (150–235) (n=7) | 32 (24–36) (n=7) | 18 (10–22) (n=3) | 103 (n=1) |
| California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 320–435 | 170–240 | 32–39 | 19–26 | 160–205 |
| Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland | Webster et al. (1985) | 350–440 | 190–250 | 115–350 | ||
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 370 | 190 | 36 | up to 200 | |
| Virginia | Linzey (1998) | 325–425 | 190–240 | 140–280 |
Skull
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ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Dorsal view of the skull. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Ventral view of the skull. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Lateral view of the skull. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Lateral view of the mandible. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Upper molars. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Lower molars. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Upper incisors.
Similar species
From Best & Hunt (2020): "Brown rats [Rattus norvegicus] are similar in appearance to roof rats, but roof rats generally are smaller and have a tail greater than 50% of total length. The rostrum of brown rats is blunter than that of roof rats, and the overall shape of the body is broader in brown rats."
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Roof Rat (Rattus rattus) -
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Dorsal view of the skull. The zygomatic arches are broken in this individual. -
ASUMAC009025. Roof Rat (Rattus rattus). Adult male. Maricopa County, Arizona. Collected 19 August 2023. Upper molars. -
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Upper molars.
References
Best TL, Dusi JL. 2014. Mammals of Alabama (Vol. 4). Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Linzey DW. 1998. The mammals of Virginia. McDonald & Woodward Publishing.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.
Webster WD, Parnell JF, Biggs WC. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Chapel Hill (NC, USA): University of North Carolina Press.