In Israel there are two species in the rat genus, the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). Both belong to the same family (Muridae) in the order Rodentia. In many sources, conflicting information appears regarding the distribution of rat species in Israel, in part because of identification errors that lead brown rats to be identified as black rats.

Ezra Haddad received a report of a rat infestation in the Beit Kama area. From the description of the rats, he understood that it might be a brown rat:
"Last night I spent several hours in one of the large barns in the south of the country, and the reason was a rat infestation affecting the barn. There are thousands of individuals, but the surprise is that these are not black rats but brown rats, a species that, according to the literature, lives in coastal cities. I was not surprised, because even from the exterminator's description I understood that these were brown rats. For me, this was an opportunity to settle accounts with this species. I have long been looking to photograph it; I do not know anyone in the country who has done so in the last thirty years. I found signs of brown rats by examining pellets and food remains in an eagle owl nest, in the Judean Foothills, in 2006-2009. In almost every site where eagle owls nested, I found hundreds of skulls of brown rats". More information added by Ezra Haddad:
This species invaded our area on ships during the 19th century. It became established in all the coastal cities of Israel and over the years also spread to the cities of Ramla, Lod, Rehovot and the surrounding area, Ramat HaSharon, and the farms of the Zevulun Valley. Today it is very common in most areas of the country, throughout Judea and Samaria, Gaza, Jericho, and in the Bedouin villages in the south of the country.

The two species are not very similar to each other; it seems that the identification errors stem from a lack of attention to the issue. Using Ezra's findings and photographs, we will learn to distinguish between the two species:
The brown rat is a large, heavy-bodied rodent. The ear pinnae are small relative to the size of the head, and the tail is short, not exceeding the length of the body. It is omnivorous and sometimes predatory. The species lives on the ground, and is an excellent swimmer and diver. At close range, webbing between the toes of the hind foot can be seen.
The black rat, by contrast, is smaller and more delicate, with a longer tail and ear pinnae. It is a good climber and builds nests in high places. It is also omnivorous, but has a clear preference for plant food.

The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). The tail and ear pinnae are rather short.          © עזרא חדד