Black Rat - Lesley Wild
Latin name: Rattus rattus
Black rats are very similar in appearance to brown rats, but they are slimmer, with relatively larger ears and a longer tail. Despite their name, they are typically grey brown, with a pale grey underside, but they may be completely black.
Although native to Asia, black rats have spread all over the world. They have largely been replaced by the brown rat in Britain.
Although we suspected it was the case, until recently there was no proof that we had black rats on Alderney. However, we now have photographic evidence from Clonque clearly showing a specimen with a tail up to twice as long as the body, one of the identifying features.
Status in Alderney: Unknown
Worldwide IUCN Red List: Least Concern, population trend stable