In less urban settings rats are preyed on by weasels foxes and coyotes.
Roof rat predators.
Weasels are also natural rat predators.
They can kill the rats in your walls attics cellars or garages.
Their undersides are often white gray or black.
While other rat species dig burrows roof rats live high above the ground in the yard residents may spot roof rat nests in trees firewood piles shrubs and vines.
Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.
True to their name roof rats prefer to build their colonies in attics and roofs where they are less likely to be disturbed by people and potential predators such as feral neighborhood cats or barn owls.
In addition to agility the black rat also uses its keen sense of hearing to detect danger and quickly evade mammalian and avian predators.
Roof rats have many natural predators including.
Dogs usually kill rats by shaking them and breaking their neck.
Keeping roof rats out is therefore a difficult task.
The roof rats usually enter a house or a garage to seek shelter from predators and don t need a large hole or place of entrance since they can gnaw their way in through metals such as aluminium wood plastic and even drywall or climb their way in through foliage wires pipelines etc.
They belong to the same family mustelid as wolverines otters and badgers and they are in the same genus mustela as ferrets and mink.
Rodents construct their nests in sheltered places away from predators.
They may bite or chase you.
Cats are natural predators of rats but so are snakes and dogs.
Are roof rats dangerous.
Contrary to popular belief cats and dogs do not maintain control of rats.
Besides causing damage to the home they can spread germs and disease.
A bite from a roof rat can transmit disease to you including rat bite fever which is spread to humans through a bite or scratch.
Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail.
They have muscular front legs that make them efficient diggers and they have strong jaws that enable them to seize prey.
Roof rat predators include hawks owls ferrets weasels coyotes skunks raccoons and snakes.
Where do roof rats nest.
Cats are usually the best option because they re agile and can reach places that dogs and other natural predators may have a hard time getting to.
Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length.
Mice and roof rats will try to gain access to your home for several reasons.
All rats can show aggression when they feel threatened.
