Roof Rat: Also known as the Black Rat, Ship Rat, & here in Florida, the Fruit or Citrus Rat. This is the only rat we have to worry about here in Orlando. All of the rat photos you see on this website are from Roof Rats. I have never encountered a single Norway Rat down here. Roof rats are usually gray to slightly brown in color. Adults are typically 8 inches long, with a 9 inch long tail. The tail is long, dark, and scaley. Roof rats prefer warmer, more tropical climates than
Norways. Roof Rats get their name because they spend about 90% of their time above ground. The live in trees, run on power lines, the tops of fences, and they really love to live in the attics of houses. Females have 4-6 litters per year, with 6-8 young per litter. They are fully weaned within a month, and sexually mature in as little as two months. They don't live very long in the wild, seldom more than a year. Roof Rats are nocturnal, which is why you hear them scampering in your attic in the middle of the night.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Florida+fruit+rat&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Go to Orlando rat control.com site
There is more information on them buggers than most people want to know,
![:lol:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/kranke_200-1.gif)
Wife's family moved to Florida almost 30 years ago. Her step father was always yapping on everything in FLA was better, nicer or bigger. He started up about the citrus rats and palmetto bugs. They were bigger at his house etc. He liked to went ballistic When I pointed out that palmetto bugs are cockroaches plain and simple and that he should stop feeding them and a rat is a rat, no matter what fancy name you call it
![:doh:](https://madmodder.net/Smileys/default/doh-45.gif)
I think that time he quite talking to me for the week he was here.
http://search.ifas.ufl.edu/search?q=Palmetto+bugs&spell=1&access=p&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&client=edis_frontend&site=edis&proxystylesheet=edis_frontendI mean most people understand that due to the semi tropical climate, the insects will love it.
The new problem is the released non native snakes and lizards and fish that people had for pets and release in the glades etc. I guess the iguanas have just about taken over in some places in the keys.
Not as bad as the cane toads in OZ. No native controls(enemies). But the most amazing thing. Was they didn't check out was that the life cycles of the cane beetle and the cane toad were completely opposite. If you every get to watch a program called Cane Toads it was on the discovery channel years ago. tape it watch it. It is informative but it is done in a tongue planted in cheek style. It will have you laughing to the point of crying in sections, with the narrator,music and some of the local characters they talk to!
glen