snake-rat

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The common Alexandrine or black rat, Mus rattus or alexandrinus. A variety of it is known as the white-bellied rat, or roof-rat, Mus tectorum. It is one of the two longest and best-known of all rats (the other being the gray, brown, Hanoverian, or Norway rat, M. decumanus), runs into many varieties, and has a host of synonyms. It is called snake-rat by Darwin. See cuts under Muridæ.