Adult weight: The adult Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) weighs on average approximately 300 grams.
Length: The average length of the head and body is 200-250mm, whereas the tail is shorter in length at 150-200mm.
Fur, colour: The fur is harsh and shaggy in texture. They tend to be brown to black on the upper part of the head and body with grey or off-white underneath.
Ears, hearing: The Brown Rats ears are thick, opaque in colour with short fine hairs. They possess an excellent sense of hearing.
Eyes, sight: Unlike the Black Rats(Rattus rattus) the Brown Rat has small eyes, but also have poor sight and they are colour blind.
Snout, smell and taste: These rats have a blunt snout compared to the Black Rat and they have an excellent sense of smell and taste.
Droppings: Their droppings are normally found in groups, but are sometimes scattered. The droppings are an elongated capsule shape measuring about 20mm long.
Habits, habitat: Does burrow. Lives outdoors, indoors and in sewers. Nest in burrows. Can climb though not agile. Very good swimmer. Somewhat predictable in habit. Avoids unfamiliar objects (neophobia), eg. bait trays, placed on runs, for some days.
Feeding habits: Omnivorous, more likely to eat meat than Rattus rattus. Consumes up to 30 grams per day, drinks water or eats food with high water content.
Life cycle: They live for approximatley 9-18 months. As with the Black Rat, during 2-3 months into their life cycle they are sexually mature to breed and will produce between 8-10 offspring each litter and have the potential for upto 7 litters per year.
