Roof Rat
 

The roof rat is also known as the black rat, ship rat, gray-bellied rat and white-bellied rat.  They
are smaller and sleeker in appearance than the Norway rat, with adults weighing 5 to 9 ounces.
The color of the fur is usually grayish-black to solid black but there are species which are brown
to dark brown.  The snout is pointed, the ears are large and can reach the eyes when pulled down,
and the tail is long and reaches the snout when pulled over the body.

This rat variety primarily occupies the coastal areas of Washington, Oregon, and California, as
well as a larger area along the Gulf and Atlantic coast regions, from Texas to Maryland.  The
Roof rat is common in Gulf seaports, and frequently stows away on ships.

Roof rats can be thought of as the vegetarians of the commensal rats, as they prefer to eat seeds
and plant foods such as vegetables or fruit, but like the Norway rat, they will eat almost anything
that is available.

As is the case with most rats, the Roof rat does not stray too far from the nest, preferring a
radius of no more than 160 ft.  This species can swim well and is very agile and active, espec-
ially at night, when they do most of their hunting.  Their breeding season is the same as the
Norway rat, spring and fall, and they have a gestation period of 22 days, with the mother then
giving birth to 4 to 8 pups.  There is 4 to 6 litters per year, and the average life span of this
species is one year.

This species is appropriately named because of it's nature as a climber and commonly lives above
the ground in high areas around structures.  Nests may be located in trees, clinging vines on the
sides of fences and houses, and inside buildings in attic areas, ceiling voids or wall voids in roof
line areas.

Roof rats enter buildings by walking along utility lines, or climbing up trees that are situated in
such a way that entering a residence is easy.

Our resident Roof rat does not restrict itself to nesting only in high, roofline places.  As the nest
population grows, these rats will expand their nesting area to include underground burrows within
residential and industrial landscaped areas, ground floor areas inside buildings, and under piles
of rubbish.
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