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Black Rat

Mammals

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
Classification
Diet
Omnivore 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 2
Relationship to People
Kept as Pets 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.
Scientific Name
Rattus rattus 3
Conservation Status
Least Concern 3
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Rodentia, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Chaparral, Biomes
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Rattus rattus (Animal Diversity Web)

In Ecosystem

Galapagos, Ecosystems
Source Black Rat (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Africa

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Albania

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Angola

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Antigua and Barbuda

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Argentina

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Australia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Austria

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

North America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Serbia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

South America

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

South Asia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United Arab Emirates

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Black rat
  • diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    It is a generalist omnivore that can live on a wide variety of foods.
  • human-interaction (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    It is sometimes kept as a pet, though most domestic rats are a subspecies of the brown rat.
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Black Rat (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph
    The black rat (Rattus rattus), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent
  • Infobox: status
    LC
  • In Ecosystem: Galapagos, Complex pest
    This has led to the black rat completely displacing many native species in Madagascar, the Galapagos, and the Florida Keys.
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Rattus rattus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • In Biome: Chaparral, Habitat: Terrestrial Biomes
    Terrestrial Biomes savanna or grassland savanna or grassland chaparral chaparral forest forest rainforest rainforest scrub forest scrub forest
View the Source
Wikidata: Black Rat
Wikidata Q106133, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: RodentiaView the Source
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