Norway Rat

Order/family: Rodentia/Muridae

Scientific Name: Rattus norvegicus

The Norway rat is the largest of the commensal rodents. The head and body are 7” to 10” long and the tail is an additional 6” – 8”. It has a stocky body and weighs 7 to 18 ounces. The fur us coarse, shaggy, sand brown with some black hairs. The muzzle is blunt, eyes and ears are small, and the tail, which is bi-colored, is shorter than the head and body combined. Norway rat droppings (feces) are up to 3/4” long with blunt ends.