Norway rats are an introduced commensal species in Nebraska, and NatureServe’s SNA rank, not applicable, reflects that introduced species don’t receive a state conservation status. With only 15 records total, split roughly evenly between iNaturalist (8) and GBIF (12), this is a thinly documented species here, likely because Nebraska’s rural, refuge-heavy landscape means fewer opportunities for people to encounter rats near buildings.
Records spike to 5 in August, a third of the year’s total, against scattered single sightings the rest of the year, an unusual summer-leaning pattern for a species that breeds indoors year-round regardless of season; it more plausibly reflects a single concentrated observation cluster than any real seasonal shift.
Full species profile
