Black Rat Scientific Name

Black Rats belong to the family Muridae, which includes sand rats, gerbils and the giant slender tailed-cloud rats. Black rats are known by other names such as roof rat, ship rat and house rat. Black rats and most other members in the family Muridae are omnivores by nature. Black rats were thought to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, and due to globalization, humans have inadvertently introduced this species to every part of the world. In some parts of the world, this species is considered a pest as it feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops. Furthermore, black rats are invasive species, which threaten the ecology of the affected areas. This species also played a significant role in the spread of Black Death – a deadly pandemic which resulted in the deaths of over 200 million people during the 14th century.

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