Brown rats are the scourge of many a farm and town. They are also known as Norway rats. They live in every town on the BC coast, and they are one of the most serious mammalian pests on the planet, spoiling grain, carrying disease, & destroying homes – yet they remain one of the most successful species.
One pair of brown rats can reproduce, and become more than 200 in just one year… That is why they are so successful! They are also expert jumpers, climbers, and swimmers, who seem to like living in the worst conditions – in places such as garbage dumps & city sewers.
Originally from Asia, brown rats rapidly colonized Europe in the early 15th -16th centuries. They then spread to the rest of the world aboard countless sailing ships. The brown rat can be found on every continent, except for Antarctica.