Skip to content

Ship rat Rattus rattus: hair from study skin

Back a level
In this section
This factsheet assists in the identification of a range of hairs from a ship (black) rat adult study skin.

Most diagnostic features for this species

  1. Ship rat. Image: © Department of Conservation

    Ship rat. Image: © Department of Conservation

    Distinctive concave-convex bi-lobed medulla in cross-section.
  2. Hairs mostly white at base.
  3. Large medulla.

Sample

Description: Range of hairs from adult study skin

Sample origin: Brunner and Coman 1974 "The identification of mammalian hair". Melbourne, Australia: Inkata Press

Hair profile

General shape: Guard hairs straight to simple curve with distal shield region. Underhairs slightly wavy

Length (mm): maximum 20

Maximum diameter observed (μm): 240

Colour: White at base changing to black along the shaft

Ship rat. Profile of guard hairs and underhairs. Image
Ship rat. Profile of guard hairs and underhairs.

Microscopic features

Ship rat. Medulla: wide aeriform lattice (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne. Image
Ship rat. Medulla: wide aeriform lattice (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Ship rat. Guard hair scales, shield region: broad petal, smooth margins, distant separation (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne. Image
Ship rat. Guard hair scales, shield region: broad petal, smooth margins, distant separation (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Ship rat. Guard hair scales, mid-shaft region: diamond petal, smooth margins, near separation (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne. Image
Ship rat. Guard hair scales, mid-shaft region: diamond petal, smooth margins, near separation (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Ship rat. Cross sections of guard (G) and overhairs (O) (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne. Image
Ship rat. Cross sections of guard (G) and overhairs (O) (magnification 468x). Image: © Brunner H, Coman B. 1974. The Identification of Mammalian Hair. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Citation

Lowe B, Wehi PM. 2017. New Zealand hair identification factsheets: Ship rat, black rat: Hair from study skin
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/tools-and-resources/identification/hair-sample-identification-and-factsheets/hair-from-animal-or-animal-skin/ship-rat-study-skin
Accessed: (--current date)