The New York City rat is called Rattus Norvegicus (Norway Rat) or sewer rat or water rat. It has a life span of about one year. It is 12 to 16” long including the tail. It weighs one pound. The female gives birth 5 to 8 times a year and has 6 – 12 babies or pups. The gestation period is 22 days. The rat is a burrowing, gnawing, nocturnal (night time) creature of habit. It burrows in the ground, under buildings, and in rubbish. It will travel from 100 to 150 feet from its resting place. It requires one ounce of food daily and one ounce of water. It feeds on animals and vegetables and prefers meat and fish.
Diseases caused by rats
- Salmonellosis, Bacterial food poisoning – most common disease transmitted by rats in United States
- Murine Typhus, Transmitted from rodent to rodent and to man by scratching infected flea feces intoskin
- Leptospirosis, (Weil’s Disease) –Transmitted from rodent and to man by contact with infected urine
- Plague, Highly fatal bacterial disease for mammals transmitted from field rodent to man by bites of infected fleas (Pasturella Pestis)
- Rat Bite Fever, Bacterial disease –bite infected rat
- Trichinosis, Endo Parasite – pork infected with parasites by ingesting rat contaminated garbage/food. Vicious cycle – rat – pig – man
- Rabies – Non existent or reported case
