Brown rat vs Dusky rat
The brown rat is heavier: 338.3 g against 61 g for the dusky rat, about 5.5 times the weight.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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What is the difference between a brown rat and a dusky rat?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The brown rat is heavier: 338.3 g against 61 g for the dusky rat, about 5.5 times the weight.
- The brown rat is longer-lived: 5 years against 1.5 years for the dusky rat, about 3.3 times the lifespan.
- Both belong to the genus Rattus, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
- They are on record for 1 of the same countries (the brown rat for 1 in total, the dusky rat for 1). Country data is incomplete and can include zoos, so this does not show whether they meet in the wild.
Side by side
| Brown rat | Dusky rat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rattus norvegicus | Rattus colletti |
| Family | Muridae | Muridae |
| Order | Rodentia | Rodentia |
| Weight | 280 g – 560 g | 61 g – 152 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 5 years | 1.5 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | shrubland | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | 1 | 1 |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Brown ratFull record: Dusky ratCompare other animals