Rat

[Steve Read <>]

Hi all – I spotted a very similar rat at the Hibberd Crescent bridge in Forde last Sunday, while waiting for the Lewins Rail not to appear. Its tail was pretty long, so I presumed black rat. The tail was also dark towards and at its tip, although that could have been from dragging it in the mud.

 

Steve

 

From: Don Fletcher <>
Sent: Friday, 8 June 2018 6:16 PM
To: ;
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Rat

 

Hi Lyndon

 

If Forde Ck is in Forde the suburb then it is a black rat Rattus rattus.  From this photo direction it seems to be a black rat but there is a close similarity with the bush rat Rattus fuscipes. The easiest way to tell them apart is the length of the tail relative to the body so do you have other photos showing the tail?  Also if it climbed or was from an urban area it will be a black rat.  A photo of the foot pads can also be helpful with small mammals.

 

By far the best way to get photos of such animals identified using the internet, as far as I know, is to post the photos to the Facebook group ‘Australian Mammal Identification’.   A couple of the main users have exceptional skill. 

regards

 

 

Don Fletcher

0428 48 9990

 

From: Philip Veerman <>
Sent: Friday, 8 June 2018 2:52 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Rat

 

It certainly is not an Antechinus, let alone an antichynus.

 

Philip

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [m("iinet.net.au","gdabb");">]
Sent: Friday, 8 June, 2018 11:55 AM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Rat

 

In the absence of any indication of scale, Lyndon, it could even be the Giant Rat of Sumatra, ‘a story for which the world is not yet prepared’.

 

From: Lyndon Howe [m("tpg.com.au","lghowe");">]
Sent: Friday, 8 June 2018 11:49 AM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Rat

 

Thanks to all who offered opinions on my rat pic. It seems it could be a black rat, bush rat, antichynus or even a rattus turnbullus or trumprattus !!

                             Lyndon Howe.

 

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