Identification of the rat species
PCR gene sequencing showed that the 369 samples of wild rats contained 38 Edward’s long tailed rats (Leopoldamys edwardsi ), 44 lesser rice-field rat (Rattus losea ), 134 Asian house rats (Rattus tanezumi ), 10 muridae (Niviventer fulvescens ), 56 brown rats (Rattus norveqicus ), 54 Indo-Chinese forest rats (Rattus andamanensis ) and 33 Chinese white-bellied rats (Niviventer confucianus ). All cytb sequences shared 99-100% similarity to the following reference sequences: MG748345 for R. tanezumi , MG748255 for N. fulvescens , KT808632 for R. norveqicus , MG748260 for R. andamanensis , MG748257 for R. losea , KP992477 for L. edwardsi and JF714942 for N. confucianus.