Also known as the Black Rat, Ship Rat, & here in Florida, the Fruit or Citrus Rat. This is the only rat we have to worry about here in Orlando. All of the rat photos you see on this website are from Roof Rats. I have never encountered a single Norway Rat down here. Roof rats are usually gray to slightly brown in color. Adults are typically 8 inches long, with a 9 inch long tail. The tail is long, dark, and scaley. Roof rats prefer warmer, more tropical climates.

Roof Rats get their name because they spend about 90% of their time above ground. The live in trees, run on power lines, the tops of fences, and they really love to live in the attics of houses. Females have 4-6 litters per year, with 6-8 young per litter. They are fully weaned within a month, and sexually mature in as little as two months. They don't live very long in the wild, seldom more than a year. Roof Rats are nocturnal, which is why you hear them scampering in your attic in the middle of the night.