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Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus

Suborder Sciurognathi

Originally from temperate Asia, the Brown Rat was introduced into Britain by trading ships from Russia in about 1728. Brown Rats are mainly nocturnal or crepuscular and spend the day sleeping in nests filled with soft materials. Their nests are built as near food as possible.
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Rats damage many materials, from wood to water pipes: this is because they gnaw anything available to keep their incisors short. The cheek teeth are rooted. The front feet are used for digging burrows.

The Brown Rat is larger and more fecund than Black Rat, but is more shy of people so is responsible for less disease transmission.