It is a large gentle squirrel like rodent.
Roof rats bc.
These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.
They tend to thrive only in urban areas where food is abundant or where winters are mild.
Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail.
The best way to get rid of rats or mice is by using traps.
Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length.
There are two types of rats in bc.
Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.
Its origins go to the tree forests of southeast asia and are adept for climbing vines wires and narrow ledges.
Its adult fur coat is long soft dense usually grey on the back and with tawny brown sides.
They are located in the coastal areas of the usa since they do not adapt well to cooler temperatures.
The norway rat rattus norvegicus and the roof rat rattus rattus.
Rats are not native to bc and were introduced via boat traffic in the mid 1800s.
It is immediately distinguished from the introduced norway and roof rats by its bushy tail.
From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.
They are also known as roof rat ship rat house rat alexandrine rat and old english rat.
Roof rat droppings are about 13 mm 1 2 inch long with pointed ends and norway rat droppings are about 19mm 3 4 inch long with blunt ends.
If using spring loaded traps for rats bait three of them in a row without setting them.
The bushy tailed woodrat is the only native rat found in canada.
Their undersides are often white gray or black.
Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.