Sneaky Roof Rat

Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.

Sneaky roof rat.

The roof rat also called gray bellied rat white bellied rat alexandrine rat black rat and ship rat. It seems as though we have roof rats everywhere. Their undersides are often white gray or black. I always laugh when someone calls creepy creatures termite and pest control describing hearing scratching and chewing in the ceiling.

They are located in the coastal areas of the usa since they do not adapt well to cooler temperatures. Roof rats also called black rats are one of the many rodents that might find their way inside your south carolina home this fall. Since roof rats can enter through very small holes in the attic you can only catch them by sealing off the area where they are living and then trapping them. Most species of rat look similar and it can be difficult to tell between a roof rat and the common norway rat but there are some telltale ways to distinguish between the two.

The roof rat is smaller than a norway rat growing to be between 6 and 8 inches in body length with an additional 6 to 8 inches in the tail. Their fur is usually a grey or black color. Rats on the roof is never a good sign and while they may not be as noisy or as easy to spot as raccoons or larger animals spotting a rat on the roof is definitely a sign to be concerned about. Thus traps should be placed off the ground in the attic rafters of the garage on shelves and ledges.

Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black. From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases. Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases. These rats are omnivores eating foliage like seeds leaves and stems in addition to small prey like birds and insects.

Roof rats are excellent climbers hence the name. Its origins go to the tree forests of southeast asia and are adept for climbing vines wires and narrow ledges. Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. Roof rats have smooth fur pointy noses and large dark eyes.

Sneaky rat roof rats without question the most common rat in florida is the roof rat. They re different than brown rats or norway rats which are more commonly known. Roof rats are smaller and darker. Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length.

These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.