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Black rat (Rattus rattus)

An introduced rat found in towns, ports and bushland edges. It damages stored goods and infrastructure, spreads disease and preys on native birds and eggs, especially on islands.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, mammal.

Native to: South-east Asia.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA, NT.

Other names: Ship rat, Roof rat.

Identification

  • Slender rat with a tail longer than its head and body, large ears and a pointed snout.
  • Look-alike: Native rats such as the bush rat have shorter tails; confirm before control.

Where it lives

Buildings, ports, camps, gardens and bushland near towns.

Why it matters

  • Contamination and damage to stores and wiring.
  • Disease spread.
  • Predation on nesting birds.

How it spreads

  • Carried in freight, vessels and stores.

Control methods

  • Registered rodenticides in tamper-resistant stations.
  • Snap traps.
  • Building proofing and hygiene.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Inspect freight, containers and stores before shipping to islands and remote sites.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): Key threatening process. Listed under the EPBC Act, with a national threat abatement plan for exotic rodents on offshore islands.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Not a declared pest. Not on an NT declared or prohibited list. Check with the NT Government before keeping, moving or releasing it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources