1. Invasion of the Black Rat Rattus rattus Alexis Roque Karin Lisa Sirjoo

2. Introduction  Species: Rattus rattus  Also Know as Ship Rat and Roof Rat  Originated in Asia  Found primarily around human habitations  Mainly vegetarian diet http://www.jcu.edu.au/discovernature/idc/groups/public/doc uments/presentation/jcudev_008406~2.3.jpg http://www.taiko.org.nz/rat1.jpg

3. Physical Description  Medium sized body  Large ears  Tail usually longer than body  Weighs between 70 to 300 grams  Usually black  Can be any combination of black, white or grey  Males longer and heavier than females http://lavieavec.unblog.fr/2007/07/03/la-beste-suite/

4. Lifestyle  Black Rats are nocturnal and omnivorous  Breed and reproduce throughout the year  Live together in large groups http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/wp-content/e/ratatouille06.jpg

5. Geographic Distribution  Found on all continents especially tropical regions  Most common in coastal areas  Agile climber – often lives in high places like top floors of buildings or in trees  Rarely swims  Spreads disease http://www.biokleen.co.uk/gif/rat.gif

6. Black Rat Vs. Santiago Rice Rat  The Black Rat negatively affects the population of the Rice Rats  Interference of population by aggression  Removal of R. rattus slowed population decline of N. swarthi http://www.hear.org/galapagos/invasives/images/nswarthi.jpg

7. Black Rat Vs. Santiago Rice Rat  Interference Competition  Both species share the same interest in food sources  General encounters cause confrontation between species  Climate factors affect the population growth of the Black Rat

8. Black Rat Vs. Deer Mice  Deer mice is native to the California Channel Islands  Black Rat affects Deer Mice in 2 ways:  1. Increasing Predation & Competition  2. Introducing new parasites & diseases  Parasite: Whipworm - Trichuris muris  Habitat and foraging behavior overlap

9. Black Rat Vs. Deer Mice  Whipworm is transferred through contaminated materials and foods  Eggs of the worm are infectious within 3 weeks of being passed from the system http://share3.esd105.wednet.edu/rsandelin/NWnature/Photos/ Deer%20mouse.jpg http://www.marvistavet.com/assets/images/whipworm.gif

10. Black Rat Vs. Sea Birds  Black rat is largest contributor to seabird extinction  Prey mostly on on small burrow nesters  Smaller birds are more vulnerable http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuba_photos/510171343/

11. Invading the Canary Islands  Seven main islands  100km from NW coast of Africa  Varied vegetation  3672 terrestrial endemic species  Of those, 1434 introduced by man www-biology.ucsd.edu/news/images/05010704-07L www.ferdinando.org.uk/images/Canary%20Islands.jpg

12. Invading the Canary Islands Ecological Effects of Rattus Rattus  One of the world’s100 worst invasive species (IUCN, 2001)  Present on all 7 islands  Arrived with European conquistadors in the 15 th century http://home.earthlink.net/~cyberkiwi/soldiers/magellan.jpg

13. Invading the Canary Islands Ecological Effects of Rattus Rattus  Affects plant regeneration and structure  Predator of birds, especially eggs and chicks  Causes decreased breeding success in birds http://www.hawaii-forest.com/_img/natural- history/conservation-002.jpg

14. Human Prevention  Sanitation  Traps & Poison baits  Sound & Electronic devices  Control by cats & dogs  Eradication http://www.orlandorats.com/images/cheese.jpg http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/images/rat1.jpg

15. References  Harris, Donna B., Gregory, S.H., Macdonald, D.W. 2006. Space invaders? A search for patterns underlying the coexistence of alien black rats and Galápagos rice rats. Oecologia 149:276-288.  Harris, Donna B., Macdonald, D.W. 2007. Interference competition between introduced black rats and endemic Galapagos rice rats. Ecology 88:2330.  Jones. 2007. Severity of the Effects of Invasive Rats on Seabirds: A Global Review. Conservation Biology 22:16-26.  Nogales, M., Rodriguez, J.L., Marrero, P. 2006. Ecological effects and distribution of invasive non-native mammals on the Canary Islands. Mammal Society 36:49-65.  Smith, Katherine F., Carpenter, S.M. 2006. Potential spread of introduced black rat (Rattus rattus) parasites to endemic deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) on the California Channel Islands. Diversity distributions 12:742.

16. Questions?