Brown Rat
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. Selective breeding of the brown rat has produced the fancy rat (rats kept as pets), as well as the laboratory rat (rats used as model organisms in biological research). Both fancy rats and laboratory rats are of the domesticated subspecies Rattus norvegicus domestica. Studies of wild rats in New York City have shown that populations living in different neighborhoods can evolve distinct…
Serra D’Irta Nature Park
Alcossebre, Spain
+129 birds+22 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into the crystalline Mediterranean, a ribbon of protected coastline unfolds along Spain’s eastern seaboard. The Serra […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKS’Albufera Nature Park
Platja de Muro, Spain
+133 birds+15 mammals
Dawn breaks across a mosaic of shallow lagoons and reed beds where the Mediterranean meets one of Europe’s most vital […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKMarjal Pego-Oliva Nature Park
Molinell, Spain
+132 birds+19 mammals
Where freshwater marshes meet Mediterranean scrubland, one of Spain’s most vital wetland systems unfolds across the Valencian coast. Brackish lagoons […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKPuigventós Nature Reserve
Olesa de Montserrat, Spain
+123 birds+28 mammals
Where the limestone ridges of Catalonia fold into Mediterranean scrubland, a patchwork of cork oak forests and rocky outcrops creates […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVEStenshuvuds National Park
Skåne län, Sweden
+136 birds+18 mammals
Where windswept cliffs plunge toward the Baltic and ancient beech forests cling to limestone slopes, southern Sweden reveals one of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSöderåsens National Park
Skåne län, Sweden
+130 birds+26 mammals
Dramatic limestone gorges slice through beech and oak forest where the Helge River carves its way southward across Skåne’s rolling […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCap de Ferrutx Nature Reserve
Artà, Spain
+137 birds+12 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into crystalline Mediterranean waters, a mosaic of Mediterranean scrubland, pine forest, and rocky terrain defines one […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVETeide Natural Monument
La Orotava, Spain
+126 birds+9 mammals
Where the Atlantic swells meet volcanic stone, Spain’s highest peak rises 3,718 metres into crystalline air, its slopes a masterclass […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVEL’Albufera Nature Park
València, Spain
+130 birds+22 mammals
Dawn breaks over a vast lagoon where freshwater meets saltmarsh, creating one of Spain’s most biodiverse wetland mosaics. This protected […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKPilancones Nature Park
Las Tederas, Spain
+116 birds+4 mammals
Where granite peaks rise abruptly from ochre scrubland in Gran Canaria’s southwestern corner, one of Spain’s most dramatic landscapes unfolds. […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKLower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park
Dunum, Germany
+124 birds+28 mammals
Tidal mud flats stretch to the horizon where the North Sea exhales and inhales twice daily, sculpting one of Europe’s […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHamburgisches Wattenmeer National Park
Hamburg, Germany
+134 birds+21 mammals
Where the Elbe River surrenders to the North Sea, a vast tapestry of mud flats, salt marshes, and shallow tidal […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLower Oder Valley National Park
Schwedt/Oder, Germany
+124 birds+30 mammals
Where two nations’ borders converge along the Oder River, a landscape of wetlands, floodplain forests and oxbow lakes unfolds across […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSchleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer National Park
Germany
+130 birds+21 mammals
Twice daily, the North Sea withdraws from an immense stage of mud, sand, and salt marsh, revealing one of Europe’s […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTeide National Park
La Orotava, Spain
+62 birds+4 mammals
Where volcanic peaks pierce the clouds at 3,718 metres, Spain’s highest mountain dominates a landscape of raw, otherworldly drama. The […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCaldera de Taburiente National Park
El Paso, Spain
+69 birds+4 mammals
Volcanic amphitheaters of rust-red stone rise nearly 2,400 meters from the island of La Palma, their ancient walls cradling a […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKExmoor National Park
Somerset, United Kingdom
+103 birds+21 mammals
Windswept moorlands rise abruptly from the Bristol Channel, where heather and gorse blanket rolling uplands carved by Iron Age settlements […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEryri National Park
Gwynedd, United Kingdom
+122 birds+29 mammals
Where granite peaks pierce the Welsh sky, alpine meadows cascade into oak-clad valleys and windswept moorlands define the horizon. This […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLake District National Park
Westmorland and Furness, United Kingdom
+124 birds+25 mammals
Glacial valleys plunge between fell-sided mountains where slate-grey waters mirror some of England’s most dramatic upland terrain. This landscape of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBannau Brycheiniog National Park
Powys, United Kingdom
+120 birds+29 mammals
Red sandstone peaks rise abruptly from rolling moorland in South Wales, where wind-sculpted ridges and glacial valleys create some of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNorth York Moors National Park
North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
+128 birds+21 mammals
Heather moorlands roll across 554 square miles of the Yorkshire uplands, where rolling hills give way to deep valleys carved […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSouth Downs National Park
Chichester, United Kingdom
+122 birds+28 mammals
Rolling chalk downlands rise and fall across southern England in a landscape sculpted by millennia of grazing and cultivation. These […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDartmoor National Park
West Devon, United Kingdom
+103 birds+19 mammals
Where weathered granite tors pierce the horizon and wind-sculpted moorland sprawls across 368 square miles of southwestern England, a landscape […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKhao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park
Mueang Rayong District, Thailand
+132 birds+30 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into crystalline waters and coastal forests merge with rocky outcrops, a mosaic of Thailand’s most pristine […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Nature Park
Frigiliana, Spain
+127 birds+24 mammals
Where limestone peaks thrust skyward between the Costa del Sol and the Axarquia plain, dramatic gorges and cascading waterfalls carve […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKCabo de Gata-Níjar Nature Park
San José, Spain
+131 birds+21 mammals
Where arid mountains plunge toward an impossibly blue Mediterranean, Spain’s southeastern corner harbors one of Europe’s most dramatically understated wilderness […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKPenínsula de Llevant Nature Park
Betlem, Spain
+138 birds+12 mammals
Where Mediterranean limestone cliffs plunge toward turquoise shallows, the eastern peninsula of Mallorca reveals one of Spain’s most ecologically pristine […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKSerra de Montsant Nature Park
La Morera de Montsant, Spain
+129 birds+27 mammals
Where limestone ridges thrust skyward above rolling Mediterranean scrubland, a landscape of dramatic contrasts rewards the discerning traveler. Montsant’s jagged […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKLagunas de Archidona Nature Reserve
Archidona, Spain
+133 birds+25 mammals
Where shallow lagoons mirror the vast Spanish sky, a patchwork of reed beds and freshwater marshes creates one of Iberia’s […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVEMont-Saint-Bruno National Park
Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Canada
+121 birds+30 mammals
Where the Saint Lawrence lowlands rise into unexpected prominence, a modest but ecologically rich mountain dome commands attention across Quebec’s […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParcial C Marina de les Medes Nature Reserve
Torroella de Montgrí, Spain
+121 birds+11 mammals
Crystal waters lap against a constellation of seven limestone islands where the Costa Brava meets the Mediterranean, their rocky shores […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVEL’Empordà Nature Park Marshes
Empuriabrava, Spain
+127 birds+26 mammals
Where the Pyrenean foothills flatten into the Mediterranean, freshwater marshes, reed beds, and lagoons create one of Spain’s most vital […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKEbro Delta Natural Park
Eucaliptus, Spain
+147 birds+6 mammals
Where the Ebro River surrenders to the Mediterranean, a vast mosaic of lagoons, reed beds, and salt marshes unfolds across […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKDanube Delta Biosphere Reserve
Tulcea, Romania
+123 birds+30 mammals
Where Europe’s mightiest river dissolves into the Black Sea, a labyrinth of reed beds, shallow lagoons, and floating islands creates […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEverglades National Park
Monroe County, United States
+123 birds+27 mammals
Where sawgrass prairie stretches endlessly beneath subtropical skies, a vast wetland wilderness pulses with primordial energy. Spanning over 13,000 square […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCévennes (Cœur) National Park
Vebron, France
+120 birds+32 mammals
Where granite ridges plunge into serpentine river valleys, a wilderness of schist and limestone unfolds across the Massif Central. Ancient […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTúria Nature Park
València, Spain
+103 birds+11 mammals
Where limestone cliffs rise dramatically above the sinuous Túria River, one of Spain’s most compelling natural laboratories unfolds across nearly […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKParc del Foix
Castellet i la Gornal, Spain
+111 birds+13 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge toward the Foix River, a ribbon of Mediterranean riparian woodland winds through steep-sided gorges in Catalonia’s […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKParc del Garraf
Rat-Penat, Spain
+128 birds+11 mammals
Where Mediterranean limestone plateaus plunge toward the Catalan coast, sculpted cliffs and hidden ravines create a landscape of stark beauty […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKCollserola Nature Park
Barcelona, Spain
+131 birds+20 mammals
Where Mediterranean scrubland rises abruptly from Barcelona’s urban edge, a remarkable patchwork of pine forests, cork woodlands, and rocky limestone […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKParc del Montnegre i el Corredor
Font-Montnegre, Spain
+110 birds+24 mammals
Where the Mediterranean scrublands rise into pine-clad ridges, a mosaic of ancient forests and rocky outcrops defines one of Catalonia’s […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKŐrség National Park
Kondorfa, Hungary
+65 birds+20 mammals
Where the Alps fade into the Carpathian foothills, a gentle mosaic of ancient forests and rolling hills defines one of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDuna-Ipoly National Park
Dömös, Hungary
+121 birds+30 mammals
Where the Danube carves its sinuous path through northern Hungary, limestone ridges rise abruptly from the river valley, their pale […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKFertő–hanság National Park
Fertőszéplak, Hungary
+12 birds+27 mammals
Where shallow waters meet vast reed beds beneath wide Hungarian skies, one of Central Europe’s most dynamic wetland complexes unfolds […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCadí Moixeró Nature Park
Bagà, Spain
+122 birds+30 mammals
Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park is one of the largest and most spectacular protected areas in Catalonia, located in the heart of […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKMontseny Nature Park
Viladrau, Spain
+105 birds+22 mammals
The Montseny Natural Park is one of Catalonia’s most remarkable protected areas, offering an extraordinary blend of biodiversity, scenic landscapes, […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKGwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Area E (Moresby Island), Canada
+61 birds+9 mammals
Where temperate rainforests plunge into the Pacific and mist clings to ancient cedar groves, one of North America’s most pristine […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPoint Pelee National Park
Leamington, Canada
+125 birds+28 mammals
Where Lake Erie’s waters meet a sandy finger of Ontario’s shoreline, one of North America’s most vital migratory corridors pulses […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBrasília National Park
Plano Piloto, Brazil
+122 birds+30 mammals
Where granite escarpments rise above the cerrado grasslands of central Brazil, a vast sanctuary unfolds across 1,077 square kilometres of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSydney Harbour National Park
Sydney, Australia
+131 birds+21 mammals
Crystalline waters lap against weathered sandstone headlands where native bushland clings to steep escarpments overlooking one of the world’s most […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRoyal National Park
Sydney, Australia
+133 birds+24 mammals
Sandstone cliffs plunge toward the Tasman Sea along New South Wales’ southern coast, where Royal National Park unfolds across 343 […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBelair National Park
Adelaide, Australia
+132 birds+19 mammals
Where the Adelaide Hills rise dramatically from the surrounding plains, eucalyptus woodlands of remarkable diversity cloak a landscape sculpted by […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHeathcote National Park
Sydney, Australia
+131 birds+26 mammals
Where sandstone ridges rise above eucalyptus woodlands and crystalline creeks carve through ancient valleys, one of Victoria’s most underrated wilderness […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEspacio Natural Remolar-Filipinas
El Prat del Llobregat, Spain
+121 birds+28 mammals
Where the Llobregat River delta meets the Mediterranean, a patchwork of salt marshes, reed beds, and shallow lagoons creates one […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVEMontaña de Montserrat Nature Park
Marganell, Spain
+126 birds+30 mammals
Where granite monoliths erupt from the Mediterranean scrubland like cathedral spires, an otherworldly landscape unfolds across Catalonia’s most dramatic mountain […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKCamargue Regional Nature Park
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France
+122 birds+30 mammals
Where the Rhône Delta sprawls into the Mediterranean, a landscape of stark and haunting beauty emerges—vast salt marshes punctuated by […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKKolkheti National Park
Nigvziani, Georgia
+149 birds+6 mammals
Where the Caucasus descends to meet the Black Sea, a mosaic of wetlands, reed beds, and coastal lagoons creates one […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTrialeti Planned National Park
Tbisi, Georgia
+130 birds+21 mammals
Where limestone plateaus rise above the Caucasian foothills, a mosaic of oak forests, alpine meadows, and beech woodlands creates one […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMachakhela Planned National Park
Skurdidi, Georgia
+138 birds+12 mammals
Where the Lesser Caucasus mountains plunge toward the lowlands of southern Georgia, a landscape of dramatic contrasts unfolds. Steep limestone […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRegional Park of the Catalan Pyrenees
Olette, France
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where granite peaks thrust skyward above cloud-laden valleys, a wild tapestry of Mediterranean and alpine ecosystems interweaves across the Franco-Spanish […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVED’Armorique Regional Nature Park
Le Faou, France
+124 birds+30 mammals
Where granite ridges meet Atlantic moorland, one of Brittany’s wildest regions reveals itself in layers of ecological richness. The landscape […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKCairngorms National Park
Muir, United Kingdom
+124 birds+27 mammals
Where ancient granite massifs rise above the Scottish Highlands, a subarctic wilderness unfolds across 1,748 square kilometres of raw, elemental […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKStrandzha Nature Park
Kondolovo, Bulgaria
+132 birds+23 mammals
Where the Rhodope Mountains descend toward the Black Sea coast, ancient forests rise above limestone plateaus in a tapestry of […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKVitosha Nature Park
Chuypetlovo, Bulgaria
+103 birds+12 mammals
Where ancient granite peaks rise above the Bulgarian capital, a wild sanctuary unfolds across nearly 27,000 hectares of pristine montane […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKVratsa Balkan
Zgorigrad, Bulgaria
+137 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into deep river canyons and beech forests give way to rocky karst plateaus, one of Bulgaria’s […]
VIEW NATURE RESERVENahuel Huapi National Park
Argentina
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where granite peaks plunge into crystalline alpine lakes, the southern Andes create one of South America’s most dramatic wilderness theaters. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontes de Málaga Nature Park
Málaga, Spain
+146 birds+12 mammals
Where pine forests descend into Mediterranean scrubland and limestone ridges puncture the Andalusian sky, a landscape of remarkable ecological complexity […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKLosiny Ostrov National Park
Balashikhinsky District, Russia
+120 birds+30 mammals
Ancient pine and birch forests sweep across undulating terrain where the Moskva River winds through Moscow’s northeastern reaches, creating a […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNalychevo National Park
Nalychevo, Russia
+86 birds+10 mammals
Where volcanic peaks pierce the mist of Russia’s far northeast, a primordial landscape of steaming geothermal springs and pristine river […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCirceo National Park
Italy
+140 birds+10 mammals
Where the Tyrrhenian Sea collides with limestone ridges and Mediterranean scrub, an ancient landscape unfolds along Italy’s southern Lazio coast. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDelle Incisioni Rupestri di Naquane National Park
Capo di Ponte, Italy
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where Alpine valleys descend into the Lombardy foothills, glacier-carved granite formations rise in dramatic tiers above the Oglio River valley. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDell’Arcipelago Toscano National Park
Italy
+128 birds+22 mammals
Azure waters lap against wind-sculpted granite islands where Mediterranean macchia clings to rocky slopes and pine forests crown the hilltops. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCasentinesi Forests, Monte Falterona, Campigna National Park
Santa Sofia, Italy
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where granite ridges rise above 1,600 meters through the heart of Tuscany and Romagna, beech forests transition into alpine meadows […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park
Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where the Apennine spine rises between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, beech forests give way to windswept alpine meadows and dramatic limestone […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni National Park
Campora, Italy
+76 birds+17 mammals
Limestone cliffs plunge toward the Tyrrhenian Sea while ancient beech forests crown the interior highlands, creating a mosaic of Mediterranean […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTaman Negara Bukit Lambir National Park
Miri, Malaysia
+137 birds+15 mammals
Rainforest cascades down sandstone ridges where crystal streams carve through ancient geology, creating a landscape of profound biological richness in […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKomodo National Park
Komodo, Indonesia
+69 birds+14 mammals
Where volcanic peaks rise dramatically from turquoise waters, a primordial landscape unfolds across three main islands and countless smaller ones […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKampinos National Park
Gurba, Poland
+123 birds+30 mammals
Vast wetlands and ancient pine forests sprawl across the sandy plains just northwest of Warsaw, where Poland’s largest national park […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella
Mexico
+123 birds+30 mammals
Volcanic ridges rise abruptly from the valley floor south of Mexico City, their slopes clothed in a mosaic of pine-oak […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Benito Juárez
San Andrés Huayápam, Mexico
+129 birds+30 mammals
Towering pine and fir forests blanket the high plateaus of Oaxaca’s Sierra Madre Oriental, where elevation exceeds 3,600 meters and […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSomiedo Natural Park
Pola de Somiedo, Spain
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where granite gorges cleave through the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, alpine meadows roll toward beech and oak forests in […]
VIEW NATURAL PARKSierra de Boumort
Segan, Spain
+125 birds+29 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through the Catalan Pyrenees, ancient limestone cliffs rise in dramatic ramparts above dense Mediterranean forests. This […]
VIEW MOUNTAIN & ALPINEMontañas de Prades
Capafonts, Spain
+126 birds+28 mammals
Where granite peaks rise abruptly from the Tarragona hinterland, a wild mosaic of pine forests, scrubland, and limestone cliffs creates […]
VIEW MOUNTAIN & ALPINEMount Ainos National Park
Sami Municipal Unit, Greece
+77 birds+6 mammals
Where the Ionian Sea meets the limestone heights of Cephalonia, a windswept wilderness of scree slopes and ancient Calabrian pines […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMount Parnitha National Park
Municipal Unit of Acharnes, Greece
+135 birds+15 mammals
Where granite ridges rise dramatically above the Athenian sprawl, a remarkable wilderness unfolds across nearly 38,000 hectares of Mediterranean terrain. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSounio National Park
Municipal Unit of Ayios Konstantinos, Greece
+135 birds+15 mammals
Where the Athenian coast fractures into dramatic rocky promontories, ancient marble cliffs plunge toward the Aegean in a landscape that […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKButrint National Park
Vagalat, Albania
+133 birds+17 mammals
Where Ionian breezes meet the Corfu Channel, saltmarsh and freshwater lagoons create a mosaic of habitats that pulse with life […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKOlympos National Park
Pieria Regional Unit, Greece
+133 birds+17 mammals
Where the Thessalian plains meet the Mediterranean, granite peaks thrust skyward in defiant majesty, their slopes cloaked in a mosaic […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSamaria National Park
Chania Regional Unit, Greece
+138 birds+12 mammals
Where granite gorges plunge nearly a kilometer into the Cretan landscape, a dramatic wilderness unfolds across 4,850 hectares of Crete’s […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.