Where Are Norway Rats From?
WouterNorway rats are nocturnal rodents, and they are active foraging animals. They are usually active at dusk and dawn, but will also feed during the day. They eat a variety of foods and will often carry their food to quieter locations to avoid being disturbed. Norway rats can reproduce up to five times a year, and their reproduction rate is high.
Norway rats are commonly found in cities, and they have adapted well to living in close proximity to humans. They can live in basements, holes in foundations, and marshes. They prefer areas with abundant vegetation and food sources. While they may be destructive to livestock, they are not harmful to humans. You can keep these pests from ruining your home by preventing them from breeding and destroying food. Also, make sure your garbage is emptied outdoors regularly.
Norway rats were first domesticated in the 1850s, and some scientists believe that they were the first animals domesticated for research. Others, however, point to sporadic use of rats prior to this time. The first documented experiment on rats took place in France in 1856, and was a study of the effects of adrenalectomy on rats. Another study was conducted in 1863, which was focused on the nutritional value of proteins. In 1893, American psychiatrists Henry Herbert Donaldson and Adolph Mayer began conducting biomedical experiments using rats.
The Norway rat can grow to be as large as 25 inches in length, and the body is around 20 inches long. It has an unusually short tail, which measures only eight inches long. The body length and weight of an adult rat are much larger than those of a mouse. Typically, rats will make between 30 and 50 droppings a day, and they usually eat their food in a single sitting. When food is scarce, they will resort to cannibalism to survive.
