What is the difference between a ship rat and a norway rat?

They are just as destructive as each other, but what is the difference between a ship rat and a Norway rat? The ship rat is the most commonly found rat in NZ and are the smaller of the two European species. The Norway rat is more typically associated with human activity, often found in urban areas.

Both are omnivores, eating birds, seeds, snails, lizards, fruit, weta, eggs, chick, larvae and flowers. The varied diet of rats makes them competitors with native wildlife for food sources.

Ship rats are found in many different habitats. They are good climbers, so can access many bird nests high in trees. On offshore islands, Norway rats are large enough to kill burrow-nesting adult seabirds and eat their eggs and chicks.

[information from Department of Conservation]