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submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat and Norwegian rat, is a widespread, common species of rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown or grey rodent with a body length of up to 28 cm (11 in) long, and a tail slightly shorter than that. It weighs between 140 and 500 g (4.9 and 17.6 oz). Thought to have originated in northern China and neighbouring areas, it has now spread to all continents except Antarctica, and is the dominant rat in Europe and much of North America, having become naturalised across the world. With rare exceptions, the brown rat lives wherever humans live, particularly in urban areas. It is omnivorous, reproduces rapidly, and can be a vector for several human diseases.

Studies of wild rats in New York City have shown that populations living in different neighborhoods can evolve distinct genomic profiles over time, by slowly accruing different traits.

Naming and etymology

The brown rat was originally called the "Hanover rat" by people wishing to link problems in 18th-century England with the House of Hanover. It is not known for certain why the brown rat is named Rattus norvegicus (Norwegian rat), as it did not originate from Norway. However, the English naturalist John Berkenhout, author of the 1769 book Outlines of the Natural History of Great Britain, is most likely responsible for popularizing the misnomer. Berkenhout gave the brown rat the binomial name Mus norvegicus, believing it had migrated to England from Norwegian ships in 1728.

Though the assumptions surrounding this species' origins were not yet the same as modern ones, by the 20th century, it was believed among naturalists that the brown rat did not originate in Norway, rather the species came from central Asia and (likely) China.

Distribution and habitat

Possibly originating from the plains of northern China and Mongolia, the brown rat spread to other parts of the world sometime in the Middle Ages. The question of when brown rats became commensal with humans remains unsettled, but as a species, they have spread and established themselves along routes of human migration and now live almost everywhere humans are.

As it spread from Asia, the brown rat generally displaced the black rat in areas where humans lived. In addition to being larger and more aggressive, the change from wooden structures and thatched roofs to bricked and tiled buildings favored the burrowing brown rats over the arboreal black rats. In addition, brown rats eat a wider variety of foods, and are more resistant to weather extremes.

In the absence of humans, brown rats prefer damp environments, such as river banks.[86] However, the great majority are now linked to man-made environments, such as sewage systems. In addition to sewers, rats are very comfortable living in alleyways and residential buildings, as there is usually a large and continuous food source in those areas.

It is often said that there are as many rats in cities as people, but this is considered an urban myth for most cities. Brown rats in cities tend not to wander extensively, often staying within 20 m (66 ft) of their nest if a suitable concentrated food supply is available, but they will range more widely where food availability is lower. It is difficult to determine the extent of their home range because they do not utilize a whole area but rather use regular runways to get from one location to another. Urban rat research is considered to be challenging due to their significant global population size and spatial distribution patterns. There is great debate over the size of the population of rats in New York City, with estimates from almost 100 million rats to as few as 250,000. Experts suggest that New York is a particularly attractive place for rats because of its aging infrastructure and high poverty rates. In 2023, the city appointed Kathleen Corradi as the first Rat Czar, a position created to address the city's rat population. The position focuses on instituting policies measures to curb the population such as garbage regulation and additional rat trapping. A 2024 study using data from Vancouver found that most municipal complaints about rats were related to garbage, and the rats were often viewed as a symptom of a community issue.

Megathreads and spaces to hang out:

reminders:

  • ๐Ÿ’š You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
  • ๐Ÿ’™ Hexbearโ€™s algorithm prioritizes comments over upbears
  • ๐Ÿ’œ Sorting by new you nerd
  • ๐Ÿถ Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

Financial Support to the Bearsite

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submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

!main@hexbear.net

!podcasts@hexbear.net

!askchapo@hexbear.net

!news@hexbear.net

!technology@hexbear.net

!history@hexbear.net

!politics@hexbear.net

!announcements@hexbear.net

!commrequest@hexbear.net

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!art@hexbear.net

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!feedback@hexbear.net

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!womenby@hexbear.net

!anime@hexbear.net

!science@hexbear.net

!movies@hexbear.net

!food@hexbear.net

!guns@hexbear.net

!the_dunk_tank@hexbear.net

!gardening@hexbear.net

!sports@hexbear.net

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!europe@hexbear.net

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!videos@hexbear.net

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!cute@hexbear.net

!book_requests@hexbear.net

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!popularculture@hexbear.net

!atheism@hexbear.net

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Lookin for it?

Leave

hentai-free

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...The Sietch that Makes You Cold

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submitted 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) by heatenconsumerist@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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submitted 9 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) by mar_k@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

Poll is from Pew Research

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no aid to entity

selling weapon to allies

unrelated to the spilled blood tech acquistions

never support even sanctions tho, much less nuking tel aviv

linkies

https://nitter.net/clashreport/status/2009690488018784356

https://nitter.net/ryangrim/status/2042781439054483581

https://jstreet.org/faq/#irondome

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sofiachierchio/2026/03/11/wizs-founders-and-investors-cash-out-as-googles-32-billion-takeover-closes/

truly demonic how you sell concession of not providing direct financial aid as some historic victory to a country with gdp per capita of 60000$

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i will not be taking questions at this time

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Mexican plates. (thelemmy.club)
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submitted 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) by SexUnderSocialism@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

These kids know what's up. che-smile

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Title (thelemmy.club)
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https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyeg3224d9t?post=asset%3A161813aa-0504-4a7c-820d-0e2d1b4dabf9#post

spoilerThe US is loading its warships with the "best weapons" in case the peace talks with Iran fail, US President Donald Trump has suggested.

Speaking in a phone interview to New York Post on Friday, he says "we're going to find out in about 24 hours," the paper reports.

"We're loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we use to do a complete decimation.

"And if we don't have a deal, we will be using them and we will be using them very effectively," he adds.

Of the Iranians, he says they are people that you "don't know whether or not they tell the truth".

Talks between the two nations are due to take place on Saturday in Pakistan.

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"Hey I'm here to pick up an order."

"Okay, do you have your order number?"

"Nope."

"Do you have you receipt?"

"Nope."

"Do you remember when you ordered it?"

"Nope."

"Did you order it online or in store?"

"I dunno."

"Who ordered it for you?"

"I dunno."

"What is the item."

"I dunno."

"Do you have the email you ordered it with?"

"Nope."

"Phone number?"

"Nope."

"Do you know what the item is?"

"Nope."

"What's your name?"

"I dunno."

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This is best exemplified by carbrains claiming if you get stuck behind a slower vehicle such as a bicycle it's only natural that you turn into a bloodlusting psychopath but like this happens to me daily because grandma earnest and me share the same not-even-one-bicycle-wide bikepath. Since I neither intend to hit a pedestrian or bunnyhop a sick trials line across some cars I just ride slower for a bit.

The thing about how bicyclists throw themselves infront of cars? Guess what: An alarming amount of people play crossing traffic by ear and since I don't make "vroom vroom" noises while riding they literally just straight up walk infront of me, on the road. Half the time they don't even notice me emergency braking and going behind them.

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submitted 22 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) by duderium@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

New explanation for why planes are falling out of the sky just dropped.

Also pre-emptive volcel-kamala

42% of americans play video games for at least 3 hours per week ๐Ÿฅด

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Media, Class Interest, and War (dialecticaldispatches.substack.com)
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view more: next โ€บ

Chapotraphouse

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