Black rat  (Rattus rattus)

This species was once widespread throughout Britain until the brown rat was introduced (4). It originates from Asia, and today is widely distributed around the globe (4). It has been restricted to largely transient populations in Southwark, London and Avonmouth since 1884, and has undergone a drastic decline in range since the 1950s (4). It also persists on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel and the Shaint Islands in the Outer Hebrides (4).

This species is closely associated with buildings around the world, although in Britain it tends to inhabit rocky shores and cliffs. On the islands it occasionally occurs on rubbish dumps and around buildings (4).