Back Hausratte ALS Rattus rattus AN جرذ أسود Arabic جرذ اسود ARZ Rattus rattus AST Tovol (Rattus rattus) AVK Qara siçovul Azerbaijani Пацук чорны Byelorussian Черен плъх Bulgarian কালো ইঁদুর Bengali/Bangla
| Black rat Temporal range: Holocene
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Rattus |
| Species: | R. rattus
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| Binomial name | |
| Rattus rattus | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Mus rattus Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The black rat (Rattus rattus), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus Rattus, in the subfamily Murinae.[1] It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is now found worldwide.[2]
The black rat is black to light brown in colour with a lighter underside. It is a generalist omnivore and a serious pest to farmers because it feeds on a wide range of agricultural crops. It is sometimes kept as a pet. In parts of India, it is considered sacred and respected in the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke.
- ^ a b Kryštufek, B.; Palomo, L.; Hutterer, R.; Mitsainas, G.; Yigit, N. (2021). "Rattus rattus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T19360A192565917. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T19360A192565917.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Baig, M.; Khan, S.; Eager, H.; Atkulwar, A. & Searle, J. B. (2019). "Phylogeography of the black rat Rattus rattus in India and the implications for its dispersal history in Eurasia". Biological Invasions. 21 (2): 417–433. Bibcode:2019BiInv..21..417B. doi:10.1007/s10530-018-1830-0. S2CID 67790305.