BROWN RAT
The brown rat is not everyone's favourite mammal, but these inquisitive, intelligent rodents have managed to spread to every continent except Antartica. The brown rat (or Norway rat as it is also known), is thought to have originated in China. Their bodies can grow to 280mm and when you add the tail, the brown rat averages at 400mm in length. They have short dense fur, which covers their bodies except for the ears, nose and tail, which are bald. Although called the brown rat, the fur colour can range from brown to grey with a lighter colouring on their underside.
They live everywhere that humans live, as well as forests, fields and hedgerows. They can build elaborate burrows with chambers for food storage and bedding. Brown rats live in large, male dominated groups. In the wild, their lifespan is 2 to 3 years, with the females reaching sexual maturity at 4 months old. She is also ready to mate 18 hours after giving birth and subsequently can have up to 7 litters a year. Litters average 8 pups, with the young leaving the nest after 6 weeks.
If you wish to tempt a rat out of a hole for photography purposes, I can tell you that they like "Nice" biscuits.
