Rattus norvegicus

Basic information
Scientific name	Rattus norvegicus	(No picture)
Common names	Norway rat, brown rat
Higher taxon	Muridae, Rodentia, Mammalia
Natural range	Assumed to be SE Siberia, N China, and Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu).
Habitat	In urban area, this species prefers wet habitat such as sewer, kitchen, gabage station, underground mall, food storehouse, etc. This species also occur farm area.

Invasion information
Range in Japan	Many peripheral islands. Although mainland populations are assumed to be natural, those can also be mixed with introduced population.
Origin	Unknown.
Date	Unknown. Introduction to Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands might occur in 1670-1862.
Route	Accidental: Hitchhiking on some transport.
Impact	Predation. Damage on agriculture. Carrying parasite (e.g., harvest mite). Native organism(s) affected: Sea birds breeding on small islands. Crops.
Regulation in Japan	No action for prevention, mitigation, control, or eradication.
Introduced range in other countries	Worldwide

Reference

Notes

Abe et al. (1994) A Pictorial Guide to the Mammals of Japan. Tokai University Press, Tokyo. (in Jpn)
Kawamichi (ed) (1996) Encyclopedia of Animals in Japan 1, Mammals 1. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
Long (2003) Introduced mammals of the world: their history, distribution, and influence. CABI Publishing.
Nakamura (1988) Alien Animals of Japan. Kanagawa Pref. Mus., Yokohama (in Jpn)
Nakamura et al. (2002) A Survey on Leptospiral Reservoir Animals in Okinawa Prefecture. Ann Rep. Okinawa Pref. Inst. Health Env. 36:39-42. (in Jpn, Eng abstract)
Wilson & Reeder (eds.) (2005) Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp. (http://www.press.jhu.edu).
Yabe (2006) “Water rat” of Ogasawara. Annual Reports on Ogasawara Research, Tokyo Metropolitan University. 29:19-22. (in Jpn)
Yamada et al. (eds) (2011) Invasive Alien Mammals in Japan: Biology of Control Strategy and Conservation. Univ. Tokyo Press (in Jpn)