Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

Laboratory rats or lab rats are strains of the rat subspecies Rattus norvegicus domestica which are bred and kept for scientific research. While less commonly used for research than laboratory mice, rats have served as an important animal model for research in psychology and biomedical science.

Strains used in Longevity Research

Strain	Characteristics	Relevance to Longevity Research
Wistar	General-purpose strain, albino coat	Commonly used in aging studies due to well-documented lifespan
Sprague Dawley	Outbred, albino, large size	Popular for age-related disease studies
Brown Norway	Inbred, brown coat, long lifespan	Known for its exceptionally long lifespan, useful for studying aging processes
Fischer 344	Inbred, albino, prone to certain age-related diseases	Frequently used in gerontology for studying age-related pathologies
Long-Evans	Outbred, hooded coat, good healthspan	Utilized in research focusing on the quality of life and health in old age
SHR (Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat)	Inbred, used in cardiovascular research	Valuable for studying the interplay between hypertension and aging

See Also

• Wikipedia - Laboratory rat