roof rat

There is the black rat or roof rat, with a tail nearly always longer than its body.

The black rat—also known as the ship rat, the roof rat, and the house rat—is actually gray.

The animal most likely to be involved in an airplane infestation is a roof rat, a species prevalent in Atlanta, Artimovich said.

The roof rat is common in many parts of the South, where it is a persistent pest in cane and rice fields.