Species
Black Rat
Mammals
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
The black rat, also called the roof rat or ship rat, is a common long-tailed rodent that most likely originated in the Indian subcontinent and is now found worldwide, closely associated with humans as a generalist omnivore. Black to light brown with a lighter underside, it is a significant agricultural pest that feeds on a wide range of crops, though most domestic pet rats actually descend from the related brown rat; in parts of India it is instead considered sacred, notably at the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke.
Facts
Scientific Name Conservation Status Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.