Question on black rats

connerlake · #1 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 12:49 PM

Are they at all protected as from what i know they appear to be going extinct in britain ?

charlieb · #2 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 01:02 PM

No, they're native to Asia - the Black rat supposedly likes it warmer

connerlake · #3 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 03:08 PM

Yes but the brown rat as ive learned today is classed as native (still figuring this out from valleyforge) and the black rat has been here for nearly 2000 years (or so ive read)

thunder · #4 (**permalink**) 13-08-2009, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by connerlake

Yes but the brown rat as ive learned today is classed as native (still figuring this out from valleyforge) and the black rat has been here for nearly 2000 years (or so ive read)

Doubt if anyone classes Brown Rats as native, except perhaps on the basis that they got here of their own accord, albeit with the unwitting assistance of humans. But on those terms, Black Rats qualify as well!

henrya

charlieb · #5 (**permalink**) 14-08-2009, 09:13 AM

I find this site quite useful:
Activities: The Mammal Society

Supposedly the Brown Rat was here in 1728AD, the Black Rat much earlier in 200AD.

There is no definitive definition of native, but a common one is species present after the last ice age (15,000 years ago?). This tends to exclude accidental or introductions by humans though.