# Brown rat

> The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a large burrowing rat of drains, settlements and ports, and one of the animals that spread leptospirosis.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/brown-rat/ · Updated 25 September 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/spesies/tikus-got/
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**Review status:** Compiled and checked against the listed sources; not yet reviewed by a specialist.

## Quick answer

The Brown rat (*Rattus norvegicus*) is a mammal in the family Muridae. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Rattus norvegicus* |
| Indonesian name | Tikus got |
| Group | Mammals |
| Family | Muridae |
| Range in Indonesia | Towns and ports, including on Java and Sulawesi |
| Linked habitats | [Urban Habitats](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/urban/) |
| Diet | Omnivore: grain, meat, fish and human food waste |
| Range in Indonesia | Towns and ports, including on Java and Sulawesi |
| Key feature | Stocky body, short ears, tail shorter than body |
| Other names | Norway rat, sewer rat, barn rat |
| Risk to people | Spreads leptospirosis; can carry plague-vector fleas |
| IUCN status | Least Concern · [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/2439261) · checked 25 September 2026 |

## What is the brown rat?

The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a large, stocky rat that lives in drains, burrows and around buildings. According to Animal Diversity Web, it reaches nearly 40 cm from nose to tail tip and weighs 140–500 g. Its coarse fur is brown above and paler below, and its ears and tail are hairless.

It is often confused with the black rat (Rattus rattus). UC IPM explains that the brown rat is larger and stockier, with a tail shorter than its head and body, whereas the black rat’s tail is longer than its body. The two species cannot interbreed. Despite the name Norway rat, it is native to northern China.

Evidence: [Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rattus_norvegicus/) · [UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html)

## Where does the brown rat live?

The brown rat lives close to people, in places such as drains, rubbish dumps, open ground and basements. Animal Diversity Web notes that nearly every port city in the world has a large brown rat population. It often lives near water and digs branching burrows with chambers for storing food and nesting.

In Indonesia, a 2021 survey by the Makassar Port Health Office found that 9 of the 10 rats caught at Soekarno-Hatta Port were R. norvegicus. Ports carry risk because rats travel on ships. A study at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, also found only brown rats, caught in a drain beside an office and in bushes.

Evidence: [Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rattus_norvegicus/) · [Balai Besar Kekarantinaan Kesehatan Makassar (Kemenkes) — Pengamatan dan pengendalian tikus di wilayah kerja KKP Soekarno-Hatta Makassar tahun 2021](https://bbkkmakassar.kemkes.go.id/news/detail/208) · [Jurnal Nusantara Community (Universitas Gresik) — Imalia & Diyanah (2023), Gambaran kepadatan populasi tikus di wilayah Pelabuhan Ketapang](https://journal.unigres.ac.id/index.php/JNC/article/view/2862)

## What does the brown rat eat?

The brown rat is an omnivore that eats almost anything available. UC IPM notes that it prefers cereal grains, meat, fish, nuts and some fruit, but readily switches to food waste around rubbish bins. Animal Diversity Web says brown rats in cities survive mainly on food thrown away by people.

Brown rats also hunt. Animal Diversity Web records them preying on chicks, mice, birds and small lizards, and brown rats living near the sea have been seen catching fish with their paws. They rely on their sense of smell, forage mainly at night, and often stay close to their nests to reduce the risk of being caught by predators.

Evidence: [UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html) · [Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rattus_norvegicus/)

## How does the brown rat behave and breed?

Brown rats are active mainly at night or at dusk and live in groups ranked by body size. Animal Diversity Web notes that they memorise complex routes through sewers and burrows. UC IPM adds that they swim better than black rats and can enter buildings through broken drains.

Females are pregnant for 22–24 days and give birth to about eight young per litter. Animal Diversity Web records that a female can give birth up to seven times a year and mates again about 18 hours after giving birth. Males mature at about three months and females at four. Several mothers often share a nest and nurse each other’s young.

Evidence: [Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rattus_norvegicus/) · [UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html)

## Is the brown rat a health risk?

Yes: the brown rat spreads leptospirosis in Indonesia, and the Ministry of Health lists it among the main rodent sources. Leptospira bacteria leave in rat urine and enter people through broken skin or mucous membranes, for example via floodwater, drains, mud or contaminated soil.

In 2023, Universitas Gadjah Mada researchers found Leptospira-positive brown rats at primary schools and housing areas in Yogyakarta. At Ketapang Port, brown rats carried the plague flea Xenopsylla cheopis. Warning signs of leptospirosis include fever of 38°C or more, headache, calf pain, red eyes, and yellow eyes and skin. Anyone with these signs should go to a health centre or hospital promptly.

Evidence: [Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Waspadai Musim Hujan dan Banjir! Leptospirosis Diam-diam Mematikan](https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/waspadai-musim-hujan-dan-banjir-leptospirosis-diam-diam-mematikan) · [Indonesian Journal of Tropical and Infectious Disease — Wibawaning Astuti et al. (2023), The existence of Leptospira interrogans on rats and the transmission potency in public areas in Yogyakarta](https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/IJTID/article/view/46918) · [Jurnal Nusantara Community (Universitas Gresik) — Imalia & Diyanah (2023), Gambaran kepadatan populasi tikus di wilayah Pelabuhan Ketapang](https://journal.unigres.ac.id/index.php/JNC/article/view/2862)

## How can you keep brown rats away from your home?

Brown rats are best prevented through good sanitation and by blocking their way into buildings. UC IPM advises collecting rubbish often, using bins with tight lids, storing pet food in rodent-proof containers, and sealing gaps in foundations and around pipes. Broken drains should also be repaired, because rats can get in through them.

Never handle rats, alive or dead, with bare hands. Indonesia’s Ministry of Health recommends rubber boots, gloves and covering clothes when cleaning up floods or standing water, and washing with soap afterwards. Keeping surroundings clean and removing rat nests are part of the clean and healthy living habits the ministry promotes.

Evidence: [UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html) · [Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Hujan, Tikus, dan Leptospirosis](https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/hujan-tikus-dan-leptospirosis) · [Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Waspadai Musim Hujan dan Banjir! Leptospirosis Diam-diam Mematikan](https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/waspadai-musim-hujan-dan-banjir-leptospirosis-diam-diam-mematikan)

## Common questions about the Brown rat

### What is the scientific name of the Brown rat?

The scientific name of the Brown rat is *Rattus norvegicus*, in the family Muridae. In Indonesian it is called Tikus got.

### Where can the Brown rat be found in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, this guide records the Brown rat in: Towns and ports, including on Java and Sulawesi.

Source-supported habitats: [Urban Habitats](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/urban/).

### What does the Brown rat eat?

Diet of the Brown rat: omnivore: grain, meat, fish and human food waste.

### What is the conservation status of the Brown rat?

On the IUCN Red List, the Brown rat is listed as Least Concern: it does not currently qualify for a threatened category in the global assessment. Source: [IUCN Red List (via GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/species/2439261), checked 25 September 2026.

This global category is separate from legal protection in Indonesia. To check whether the Brown rat is a protected species, consult the current national list of [protected species](https://panduanhewan.org/en/glossary/#satwa-dilindungi) or contact the local [BKSDA](https://panduanhewan.org/en/bksda-offices/) (natural resources conservation office).

## Sources & references

1. [Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rattus_norvegicus/)
2. [UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html)
3. [Balai Besar Kekarantinaan Kesehatan Makassar (Kemenkes) — Pengamatan dan pengendalian tikus di wilayah kerja KKP Soekarno-Hatta Makassar tahun 2021](https://bbkkmakassar.kemkes.go.id/news/detail/208)
4. [Jurnal Nusantara Community (Universitas Gresik) — Imalia & Diyanah (2023), Gambaran kepadatan populasi tikus di wilayah Pelabuhan Ketapang](https://journal.unigres.ac.id/index.php/JNC/article/view/2862)
5. [Indonesian Journal of Tropical and Infectious Disease — Wibawaning Astuti et al. (2023), The existence of Leptospira interrogans on rats and the transmission potency in public areas in Yogyakarta](https://e-journal.unair.ac.id/IJTID/article/view/46918)
6. [Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Waspadai Musim Hujan dan Banjir! Leptospirosis Diam-diam Mematikan](https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/waspadai-musim-hujan-dan-banjir-leptospirosis-diam-diam-mematikan)
7. [Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Hujan, Tikus, dan Leptospirosis](https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/hujan-tikus-dan-leptospirosis)

## Further reading

[Brown rat: facts, threats and conservation](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/rat/) — World Animal Rescue Network.

## Keep exploring

- [Black rat](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/black-rat/)
- [Asian house shrew](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/asian-house-shrew/)
- [Lesser short-nosed fruit bat](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/lesser-short-nosed-fruit-bat/)
- [Agile gibbon](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/agile-gibbon/)
- [Urban Habitats](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/urban/)

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Cite: PanduanHewan. (2026). Brown rat. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/brown-rat/