The Polynesian Rat

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Getting To Know … THE POLYNESIAN RAT Drawing of Polynesian Rat. Acknowledgement: Picture taken from “A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo”, a publication of Sabah Society and World Wildlife Fund Malaysia. Our rapid urban development has changed the rodent distribution in Singapore. In the past the rodents caught were either the Norway Rat Polynesian Rat, with a damaged tail. (Rattus norvegicus) or the Roof rat (Rattus rattus diiardii). But today with our buildings encroaching into the nature reserves, we are trapping more of the third most common rodent in the The Polynesian rat has become more closely associated with Pacific region, the Polynesian rat(Rattus exulans). It is also humans due to its easy access to food. In the Pacific islands called the Pacific rat or to the Maori, Kiore. where it is resident, it is responsible for the extinction of native birds, insects and also deforestation, by eating the It is smaller and less aggressive than the Norway rat or the stems and nuts of local palms, thus preventing the re-growth Roof rat. With large round eyes, mounted on a pointed snout, of the forest. It has also been associated with the diseases its body is covered with black/brown hair, with a lighter grey leptospirosis and murine typhus. belly and comparatively small, pale feet. The body is thin (weighs up to 80 grams) and the adult measures up to 15 cm Being a poor swimmer, its distribution to the Pacific islands (6 inches) from nose to the base of the tail. The tail is about was helped by the fact that it is considered a delicacy. Its the same length as the body. Its most distinctive features are a average total life span is up to 15 months that is if it is not dark line on the hind leg just above the ankle and a dark scale- caught and eaten before then. ringed tail. So the next rat you see in Singapore may well be the It is nocturnal and omnivorous. In plantations it is considered Polynesian rat. to be a major agricultural pest. In Hawaii electric fences and physical barriers are used in experimental farms for its control, a technique that is considered unsuitable in Singapore. The male is solitary and associates with the female only for mating. The female has 8 nipples, compared to the 10 and 12 normally found on Roof rats and Norway rats, respectively. Like the Roof rat, it is arboreal (i.e. nesting on trees), while the Norway rat tends to stay in burrows on the ground. Compared to the other 2 species, which has a home range of about 35 metres from its sighted location, the Polynesian rat’s home range is about 50 metres, meaning that it is more adventurous. Distinguishing features of the Polynesian Rat. Acknowledgement: Picture taken off the internet - “The Firefly Forest” by T Beth Kinsey. Aardwolf Pestkare (Singapore) Pte Ltd 26 Third Lok Yang Road, Singapore 628015 T 6268 1771 F 6265 1551 PG 6 Company Reg No: 199700791R E [email protected] W www.aardwolfpestkare.com .

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Atoll Research Bulletin No. 182 the Murine Rodents
ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 182 THE MURINE RODENTS RATTUS RATTUS, EXULANS, AND NORVEGICUS AS AVIAN PREDATORS by F. I. Norman Issued by THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Washington, D.C., U.S.A. January 15,1975 Contents Page Introduction 1 References to Predation by Rats 3 Apterygiformes 3 Procellariiformes 3 Pelicaniformes 4 Ciconiiformes 4 Ans eriformes Gallif ormes Charadriiformes Columbiformes Psittaciformes Passeriformes lliscussion References THE MURINE RODENTS RATTUS RATTUS, EXULANS, AND NORVEGICUS AS AVIAN PREDATORS by F. I. Norman-1 / INTRODUCTION Few mammals have adventitiously accompanied man around the world more than members of the Murinae and of these, the most ubiquitous must surely be the --Rattus group. Three species, R. rattus Linn., R. norvegicus Berkenhout, and R. exulans T~eale),have been h~storically associated with-man, and their present distribution reflects such associations. Thus although -R. exulans is generally distributed through the Pacific region, -R. rattus and norvegicus are almost worldwide in distribution, having originated presumably in Asia Minor, as did exulans (walker 1964.). All have invaded, with man's assistance, habitats which previously did not include them, and they have developed varying degrees of commensalism with man. Neither --rattus nor norvegicus has entered antarctic ecosystems, but Law and Burstall (1956) recorded their presence on subantarctic Macquarie Island. Kenyon (1961) and Schiller (1956), however, have shown that norvegicus has become established in the arctic where localised populations are dependent on refuse as a food source during the winter. More frequently, reports bave been made of the over-running of islands by these alien rats. Tristan da Cunha is one such example (Elliott 1957; Holdgate 1960), and Dampier found rattus to be common on Ascension Island in 1701 though presently -norvegicus is more widespread there (nuffey 1964).
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by UNL | Libraries University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center Wildlife Damage for July 1994 Polynesian Rats Mark E. Tobin USDA-APHIS-ADC, Hilo, Hawaii Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Tobin, Mark E., "Polynesian Rats" (1994). The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. 7. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Mark E. Tobin Project Leader Hawaii Field Station POLYNESIAN RATS Denver Wildlife Research Center USDA-APHIS-ADC Hilo, Hawaii 96721 Fig. 1. Polynesian rat, Rattus exulans Damage Prevention and Toxicants Identification Control Methods Zinc phosphide. The Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) is Exclusion Fumigants smaller than either the Norway rat (R. norvegicus) or the roof rat (R. rattus). Not practical for Hawaiian sugarcane Not practical in and around sugarcane Polynesian rats have slender bodies, fields. fields. pointed snouts, large ears, and rela- Cultural Methods Trapping tively small, delicate feet. A ruddy brown back contrasts with a whitish Not practical in and around sugarcane Synchronize planting and harvesting belly. Mature individuals are 4.5 to 6 fields. of large blocks of fields.
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