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Norway rats are thought to have originated in China, but have spread worldwide. They live anywhere humans live and are considered the most successful mammal on the planet after humans. They are brown or gray in colour with a body up to 25cm and tail just as long.
Rats are a true omnivore and will consume almost anything. It has been proven they have the ability to learn socially as they live in hierarchal colonies in burrows or subsurface places such as sewers. If a significant amount of a colony is exterminated, the remaining members will increase breeding to re-establish the population. If un noticed for enough time, they can gnaw through a metal door.
Although they appear to be cute and cuddly little creatures, mice are actually very harmful rodents. They damage and consume crops, stored food and packaging, cause structural damage and fires through their chewing and nesting and spread disease through their feces and parasites.
While feeding they contaminate hundreds of times more grain than they actually consume. They are the most successful mammalian family on earth due their excellent ability to adapt to their environment. They are good swimmers, climbers and jumpers with the ability to jump up to 45cm vertically. The main species of mice that invade our homes and businesses are the house mouse, deer mouse and field mouse.
Females are sexually mature at 50 days, after which time they have 5-10 litters of 3-14 pups per year depending on species. They can live 2-3 years in a protected environment such as a structure away from natural predators.