Habitat selection and burrow construction by wild Rattus norvegicus in a landfill.

A portion of a large sanitary landfill that had recently harbored a population of wild Rattus norvegicus was examined for signs of rat activity. All sites of digging activity by rats were excavated, and detailed measures on 36 chambered burrows were recorded. Ss selected burrow sites that minimized the travel distance to the major food source and a permanent water supply. They also invariably chose to dig burrows on sloping terrain and exhibited a strong preference for constructing burrows in loose soil that was easy to dig. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)