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Animal profile

Brown Rat

Rattus norvegicus

MammaliaHuman settlements, sewers, farmland, riverbanks and ports worldwideLeast Concern

Field profile

The brown rat is a stocky, burrowing commensal rodent that has followed shipping to almost every landmass. It is omnivorous, socially complex and neophobic towards novel objects and foods. Its domesticated form is among the most important laboratory animals in biology.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-07-25

Brown Rat

Rats are physically unable to vomit

A rat's diaphragm and stomach anatomy make the reflex impossible, and it lacks the brainstem coordination for the act. This is why rats sample unfamiliar food in tiny amounts first, and why bait shyness is so hard for pest controllers to overcome.

Read with evidence →

Brown Rat | Daily Animal Facts