Nutrition

The Rattus norvegicus is an omnivore meaning their diet consists of plants and other animals.  They are known for being scavengers and predators when the opportunity is right.  I found  an interesting article about a Rattus norvegicus attacking a Tamias townsendii, townsend chipmunk.  Chris Looney, a bird watcher was originally studying the interaction amongst the birds.   However, the Rattus novegicus and Tamisa townsendii were both foraging for sunflower seeds.  There was no interaction at first, but once the chipmunk was within 20 cm the rat became very aggressive.  It latched its jaws around the jugular of the chipmunk until the struggle was over.  Furthermore, the brown rat drug his prey back to a hole that burrowed into the ground. [10]  This situation can be linked to predation and territorialism.

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The Rattus norvegicus has been known to consume mice, limpets, crabs, fish, freshwater bivalves, gastropods, birds, turtles, lizards, and so on [10]  To be more specific a few possible targets could be the Fathead Minnow, The Spotted Salamander,  and Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel.  Though these are the main protein aspects of their diet, they also consume nuts, cheese, bird seed, vegetables, and fecal matters of other animals.  These options can also be in common with peanuts, dried pineapples, sweet oranges, and sweet potatoes.

 

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