Roof Rat Natural Predators

Hawks and falcons hunt by day and owls typically.

Roof rat natural predators.

5 natural predators of the rat 1. Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. Snakes represent another type of animal that are natural enemies and predators of rats. Predators are poor and temporary controls.

Domestic cats are actually more mouse predators than rat predators but some will take on a rat. Roof rats have many natural predators including. 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. Natural predators such as foxes snakes birds kill only a small number of rats per year usually the weak individuals which strengthens the gene pool of the rats.

Their undersides are often white gray or black. On the other hand smaller snakes will seek out and prey on baby rats. Keeping roof rats out is therefore a difficult task. Certain types of larger snakes prey on adult rats.

Cats can only kill 25 to 30 rats per year and dogs are actually worse because their sloppy eating habits encourage rats. Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.