David Element's Wildlife Web Page Mammals 13

David Element

Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mammals 13 - Brown Rats

BROWN or NORWAY RAT Rattus norvegicus

This ubiquitous mammal has been tremendously successful in either wild or commensal situations and the species appears to side-track almost every attempt at population regulation or eradication. Brown Rats Rattus norvegicus are intelligent, animated, rather resourceful and famously fecund creatures and they are entertaining and challenging subjects to film. They are also excellent swimmers, and many 'sightings' of European Water Voles are probably misidentifications of this species. Rats are also unwitting vectors of leptospirosis, Leptospira being the causative organism of Wiel’s Disease, a rare, but potentially life-threatening bacterial infection carried in their urine. The risks may be mitigated by wearing protective clothing when working or participating in leisure pursuits in rivers or on riverbanks, and by keeping all open cuts covered. Many parents allow their children to enter rivers or play on their banks with apparent unawareness of this threat to their health, at a time when antibiotic resistance is becoming a serious issue. There is often also a risk from hidden broken glass, so wearing robust footwear is really a minimum requirement. Safer still, is to enjoy rivers by watching them rather than entering the water.

Two films illustrating the behaviour of Brown Rats may be seen at: https://youtu.be/6hqZNZWUG5o and https://youtu.be/0ksjb6mha4Y.