Mammals have a symbiotic relationship with various microorganisms called microbiota throughout their lives. These microorganisms are known to affect the host's physiology, health, and even mental balance. In the harbor of the densest and most diverse microorganisms in mammals, the curved structure of the intestines and their rich nutrient content are effective. The development of the gut microbiota is regulated by a complex interaction between host and environmental factors, including diet and

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... ifestyle. Herein, it is aimed to elucidate the changes in the gut microbiota of rats living in urban and rural habitats. All taxonomic changes in the gut microbiota of wild rats belonging to Rattus rattus species caught from urban and rural areas of Western Anatolian (Bilecik province) were examined comparatively by 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing technique. Laboratory rats were used as a control group for comparison. Thus, 2000 different bacterial species were identified in gut microbiota. According to the Shannon and Simpsons values ​​calculated, laboratory rats showed the highest species diversity. When the similarities of microbiota profiles were compared with the principal coordinate analysis (PcoA), bacterial populations showed variability among different habitats. The comparison of species richness between the groups with the species rarefaction technique revealed higher species richness in all wild rats, especially in the rural habitat, compared to laboratory rats. Food sources were determined as the most important factor contributing to species richness and diversity. While the increased food variety boosted species richness, species diversity was increased due to the diminished food variety.