A picture shows spread regions of Norwegian Rat In the world.

Brief Information

Norwegian Rat, also known as the ship rat, brown rat or grey rat, is considered the largest rat, where it weights up to 350 G, may be increased to reach 700 G, with a head and body length of up to 28 cm (11 in) long, and a tail slightly shorter than that. Tail length to be 8.2 C.M in average, with bristles, and its upper part is darker than the bottom. Norwegian Rat’s general color is brown, its abdomen’s color is faint, but its tail is thick, pale brown, shorter than the body and the head together. The brown rat can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, as it is characterized by high fertility. The gestation period ranges from 21-25 days. They reach sexual maturity after 3-4 months, producing eight for each birth. Giving birth ranges from 4-6 times a year. The population could increase, to be 13 times a year, by the population density of rodents, motility, and fear factors. Females produce, on average, 38 rats annually. Norwegian Rat tends to live in groups, small families, or large groups. The life span of females is 1-3 years longer than males. This rat lives in grains stores, garbage and sewers places, and prefers wet areas, digging its tunnels near to rivers and ground floors of buildings. Feeding on, everything it can find: meats, fishes, grains, vegetables and fruits …etc. it is characterized by predating small rats, so its main food is animals having 25-75 G daily, destroying and scattering twice this quantity. Animal feces are wide, oval, often brown, moist and shiny when they are fresh, and dry, tending to be gray when they are old.