Rattus rattus
The black rat (Rattus rattus) is a long-tailed climbing rat that nests in ceilings and walls and can spread leptospirosis to people.
PANDUANHEWAN · INDONESIA
Black rat vs Brown rat: the differences
How do the Black rat (Rattus rattus) and Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) differ? Classification, features, range, diet, size, IUCN status and legal protection, from cited sources.
The black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) are different species in the same genus, Rattus. Range in Indonesia — the black rat: Settlements, including on Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi; the brown rat: Towns and ports, including on Java and Sulawesi.
Rattus norvegicus
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a large burrowing rat of drains, settlements and ports, and one of the animals that spread leptospirosis.
Black rat and Brown rat compared
| Aspect | Black rat | Brown rat |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rattus rattus | Rattus norvegicus |
| Indonesian name | Tikus rumah | Tikus got |
| Class | Mammalia | Mammalia |
| Order | Rodentia | Rodentia |
| Family | Muridae | Muridae |
| Range in Indonesia | Settlements, including on Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi | Towns and ports, including on Java and Sulawesi |
| Endemic to Indonesia | No | No |
| Key features | Tail longer than its body; agile climber | Stocky body, short ears, tail shorter than body |
| Diet | Fruit, grain, plants, human food, sometimes insects | Omnivore: grain, meat, fish and human food waste |
| Diet type | omnivore (eats plants and animals) | omnivore (eats plants and animals) |
| Reproduction | giving birth to live young (viviparous) | giving birth to live young (viviparous) |
| IUCN status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Every cell comes from the sourced data on each animal’s page; an empty cell means the data is not yet available, not that it is absent.
How to tell them apart
- Black rat: Tail longer than its body; agile climber.
- Brown rat: Stocky body, short ears, tail shorter than body.
Sources
- Animal Diversity Web — Rattus rattus (black rat) ↗
- UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Rats ↗
- PLOS ONE — Aplin et al. (2011), Multiple geographic origins of commensalism and complex dispersal history of black rats ↗
- Jurnal MKMI (Universitas Hasanuddin) — Ningsih & Sholichah (2018), Kajian reservoir leptospira di daerah sporadis leptospirosis Kabupaten Purworejo, Jawa Tengah ↗
- Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Hujan, Tikus, dan Leptospirosis ↗
- Ayo Sehat Kemenkes — Waspadai Musim Hujan dan Banjir! Leptospirosis Diam-diam Mematikan ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia — Tangani pandemi corona, belajar dari wabah pes di Jawa (2020) ↗
- Balai Besar Laboratorium Kesehatan Lingkungan (Kemenkes) — Pinjal tikus, ektoparasit populer yang dimiliki oleh tikus ↗
- Animal Diversity Web ↗
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF) ↗
- Animal Diversity Web — Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) ↗
- Balai Besar Kekarantinaan Kesehatan Makassar (Kemenkes) — Pengamatan dan pengendalian tikus di wilayah kerja KKP Soekarno-Hatta Makassar tahun 2021 ↗
- Jurnal Nusantara Community (Universitas Gresik) — Imalia & Diyanah (2023), Gambaran kepadatan populasi tikus di wilayah Pelabuhan Ketapang ↗
- 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 ↗
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