Roof Rat Vs Norway Rat

In addition norway rats can contaminate food and introduce fleas into a home.

Roof rat vs norway rat.

Norway rats can cause damage to structures through their gnawing and eating. Norway rats prefer a diet rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Roof rats are excellent climbers while norway rats are excellent swimmers. Livestock feed fresh fruits and vegetables meat sugar flower bulbs corn flour wheat beans bread even injured rats may be eaten.

Because norway rats tend to be larger their droppings are also larger about 3 4 inch long whereas roof rat droppings are usually about half an inch. Tail shorter than. Another way to differentiate between the two rodents is size. Additionally the roof rat typically has a much longer tail.

Roof rats also have a longer tail a pointy snout and longer ears than norway rats. Color is an easy way to identify roof rats vs. Also called the black rat ship rat or old english rat the roof rat measures 6 8 inches long and has a tail that s slightly longer than its body. From head to tail roof rats can be between 13 17 inches long and norway rats can be about 12 17 inches long.

Roof rats prefer seeds fresh vegetables and fruit vegetative parts of native and ornamental plants wheat and corn. Norway rats tend to look more well fed and rounder than roof rats with small eyes close set ears and a shorter tail. Even if no droppings are visible or there has been no actual sighting of rats there can be other indicators that you have an infestation of them. Adult roof rats measure about eight inches in length while norway rats can be up to ten inches long.

Norway rats also called sewer rats brown rats and wharf rats are much larger and darker in color which ranges from a grayish brown to reddish brown. Roof rats will be more commonly found in your attic while norway rats on the ground level. Roof rats have black fur with pale underbellies while norway rats have brownish gray coats. These rats are also vectors of diseases including plague jaundice rat bite fever cowpox virus trichinosis and salmonellosis.

While roof rats excel scaling your roof norway rats are powerful swimmers. Distinguishing norway rats from roof rats. The most common home invading rodents norway rats and roof rats can be identified in several ways. About seven to ten inches long.

People refer to rats by many names brown rat vs. Apart from the smaller sizes roof rat droppings differ from those of norway rats in that the ends are pointed rather than being blunt. Roof rats can weigh between 8 12 ounces and norway rats can weight between 10 17 ounces. Oregon pest control rats roof rat norway rat.