Norway Rat in Nebraska

Rattus norvegicus

Introduced to Nebraska

Nebraska's Rattus norvegicus records are of an introduced species; it does not occur here as a wild native population.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0Live Norway rat beside shallow waterPhoto: Sciadopitys from UK · CC BY-SA 2.0Brown rat crossing stones in a streamPhoto: AnemoneProjectors (talk) · CC BY-SA 2.0Norway rat feeding in short vegetationPhoto: Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife · CC BY-SA 4.0Brown rat standing beside rocks in an urban parkPhoto: Steve Milsom · CC0Live Norway rat walking through debris beside human structures

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0Live Norway rat beside shallow waterPhoto: Sciadopitys from UK · CC BY-SA 2.0Brown rat crossing stones in a streamPhoto: AnemoneProjectors (talk) · CC BY-SA 2.0Norway rat feeding in short vegetationPhoto: Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife · CC BY-SA 4.0Brown rat standing beside rocks in an urban parkPhoto: Steve Milsom · CC0Live Norway rat walking through debris beside human structures

Norway Rat in Nebraska, by the numbers

Rare in Nebraska 67th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

8 occurrence records

8 with iNaturalist photos

Dec 23, 2025 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

8 total records count every Nebraska occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 7; the monthly chart covers the 7 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Norway Rat in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in August.

7 Nebraska occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Nebraska records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	1
April	1
May	0
June	0
July	0
August	2
September	1
October	0
November	1
December	1

Monthly norway rat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Nebraska, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in Nebraska; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Norway Rat has been recorded in Nebraska

7 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

7 Nebraska records mapped

Where it's recorded in Nebraska

County	Records
Douglas County	5
Richardson County	1
Lancaster County	1
Other localities	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 3 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

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 8 records total, all of them iNaturalist observations and 4 also carried by GBIF, 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.

Douglas County, home to Omaha, holds 5 of the 8. The dated records scatter across the calendar, never more than 2 in a month, which fits a species that breeds indoors year-round regardless of season.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus Size 15–28 cm5.9–11 in Weight 140–500 g0.3–1.1 lb Lifespan Up to 3.8 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Nebraska in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries