The black rat (Rattus rattus) can often be distinguished from the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) by physical appearance. The color of the coat is often of little help.
Synonym for the black rat: Asian, ship, house, roof, old English
Synonym for the brown rat: Norwegian, wharf, common
Parameters:
(1) ears
(2) tail length
(3) nose
(4) hair of coat
Feature
Black Rat
Brown Rat
ears
larger, longer
short, partially hidden by fur
tail length
tail > body length
tail <= body length
nose
more pointed
hair
finer
coarser
The brown rat tends to weigh about twice as much as a black rat of the same age.
The rats can also be distinguished based on the appearance of the first molar.
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