Rattus rattus
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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 |
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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Rattus rattus -
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
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.