Abstract
OBSERVATIONS in the field and in large enclosures have shown that feral rats (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout), unlike albinos of this species, display, in a highly developed form, both territorial and other types of competitive behaviour1–3. Interspecific competition, between R. norvegicus and R. rattus L., has also been directly observed2. These studies have, however, thrown little light on the exact circumstances which evoke competition, or on the precise nature of the behaviour involved.
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References
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BARNETT, S. Competition among Wild Rats. Nature 175, 126–127 (1955). https://doi.org/10.1038/175126b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/175126b0
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