Taxon name
Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s)
Common House Rat, Ship Rat, Black Rat, Indur
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
It is originally described by Linnaeus in Systema Naturae, and it still bears its original tautonym of Rattus rattus. It is the type species of the genus Rattus.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Bangladesh
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is very common and abundant with widespread distribution. It occurs in almost all habitat ranges, has a tolerance of a degree of habitat modification. It is one of the most widespread rats in the world and is often regarded as a pest. Although the population size and trends have not been quantified or estimated, the population size is not believed to approach the thresholds of any of the threatened categories. This species is listed as Least Concern.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Sajeda Begum
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp; IUCN (2012) Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
http://iucnredlistbd.org/
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species was widely introduced across the globe as a result of human activities. In Europe, it has been present since ancient times, and is found in most countries. It has widespread distribution throughout the Mediterranean region. It is found throughout Southeast Asia. Of the larger rats, this is the most widely distributed species in the country from the mangrove forests to the mixed evergreen forests in high hills to the whole country (Khan 2015).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes, in the publication/on website
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
House Rats adapt to a wide range of habitats. In urban areas they are found around storehouses, residential buildings, and other human settlements. They are also found in agricultural areas, such as in crop fields. In urban areas, they are commonly found in wall cavities and false ceilings as well as they prefer to live in dry upper levels of buildings or roofs. In the wild, they live in cliffs, rocks, the ground, and trees. This species is primarily commensal with the human beings but also found in a diverse natural and semi-natural habitat. It is a serious pest to the crops of all kinds, stored grains, food items and responsible for carrying and spreading diseases like the plague. It walks, runs, swims and climbs trees at ease. It builds a nest of dry materials that could be parts of linen, books and other household materials in a disused corner of a house, store house and in burrows. It is a prolific breeder.
History
Not Threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh 2000).
Publication
IUCN Bangladesh. 2015. Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. xvi+232
