Geographic distribution of the Rattus norvegicus

The common rat (Rattus norvegicus) is native to northeast Asia—specifically the southwest of Siberia and the northeast of China—and has since spread to nearly every part of the world, with the exception of Antarctica and a few remote islands. Its global distribution is largely the result of human activity, and it now occurs primarily in habitats altered by humans—such as urban settlements across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Africa.