Northway Rats are commonly known as street or sewer rats and are found abundantly across the world. These rats are very good climbers and can easily scale trees, buildings and creepers. They are wonderful swimmers and prefer staying close to water in pipelines, drainages and around sewage. Northway rats eat almost anything from wood sap, tree bark, seeds, snails, earthworms, insects, fruits, grains, spiders and even dead animals. There are stories of these rats having damaged buildings so extensively that they have become uninhabitable..
| Common name | Norway Rat |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rattus Norvegicus |
| Weight | Approximate 250 to 350 grams |
| Length | Head and body approximate 20 to 25 cm |
| Tail length | 18 to 25 cm |
| Droppings | Ellipsoidal, capsule shaped, dark color, found in groupings. approximate 2cm long with blunt ends. |
| Sexual maturity | 2-3 months |
| Habitat | They live near water like ditches, basements, sewers, old buildings, barns, dumps, woods, fields, ponds and marshes |
| Life span | Around 2-3 years |
LIFE CYCLE:The Norway Rat female produces up to five litters a year. The gestation period varies from 21 to 23 days and the number of young from 2 to 14, averaging seven or eight. At birth, they are blind, naked and helpless. Ears and tail are bald. They have a hairy thick body, and a blunt nose. The fur is coarse and usually brown or dark grey in colour. They grow rapidly. Their eyes open in 14-17 days and they are weaned 3 to 4 weeks old. The body length is up to 20-25 cm long and the tail length is 18 to 25 cm. The male weight averages 350 gms and the female weight average 250 gms. The maximum lifespan of a Norway Rat is about 2-3 Years.
