Black Rat Research Paper

The black rat, an invasive specie, was brought here from Asia (Aaron1) by pirates and/ whalers in the 17th and 18th centuries (Charles1) and has caused destruction of crops, extinction of small animals, and carries many diseases. because it is capable of destroying up to 30% of crops annually and caused the extinction of small animals. (Aaron2) Many problems have arised due to the destructive behaviors of the black rat. “According to U.S. fish and Wildlife one problem that has occurred is that the rat-borne diseases are thought to have taken more human lives in the 10 centuries than all the casualties of all the wars and revolutions combined.” “The black rat (Rattus rattus) is the species of rat that carried fleas infected with the bubonic

As stated by the Animal Diversity Web,”Rattus rattus generally feeds on fruit, grain, cereals, and other vegetation. It is an omnivore, however, and will feed on insects or other invertebrates if necessary.” “It consumes about 15 g/day of food and 15 mL/day of water. Because it consumes and destroys the food source during feeding, it can cause devastating damage to farms and livestock. Not only does it gnaw through many materials but it ruins more than that by excreting on the remains of its foraging efforts.” "Rattus Rattus (house Rat)." Animal Diversity Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. With this said, we now know that with the large population of black rats, our crops will always be in danger either by eating most of the crops or making the rest unsafe for human consumption. Lastly, the black rat has caused many animals to become extinct. “R. rattus has directly caused or contributed to the extinction of many species of wildlife including birds, small mammals, reptiles, invertebrates and plants, especially on islands.” “R. rattus is omnivorous and capable of eating a wide range of plant and animal foods. These include native snails, beetles, spiders, moths, stick insects, cicadas and the fruit of many different plants. They also prey on the eggs and young of forest birds” "Rattus Rattus (black Rat)." Rattus Rattus (black Rat). N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. To summarize, the black rat has

These devices must be viewed with considerable skepticism, because research has not proven them effective.” "Roof Rats." Roof Rat, Rattus Rattus, Management and Control. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. Frightening the rats may not be the best way to go in order to get rid of the rats so others are trying to get rid of the creatures is by tracking rats. The use of wired cage traps, along with bait, such as rolled oats and peanut butter, to tag and track rats to determine population sizes through methods like mark-recapture and radio-tracking.” "Black Rat." - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. With this method it will allow people to dwindle down the numbers of the black rat. In conclusion, the black rat is considered and known as an invasive species. It has wreaked much havoc on people and the environment by endangering other species, destroying crops,and spreading dangerous diseases. To solve these problems scientists and others have come up with ideas to eliminate the black rat such as using damage prevention and control methods which include rodent proofing, sanitation, repellents, toxicants, fumigants, and predators, scaring them with detect noises, and tracking them. Hopefully in the near future a