More mice and rats
In the last Brink we looked at two native species that are easily mistaken for the house mouse and the black rat (both introduced). In this edition we continue looking at more rat and mouse look-alikes.
Alpine and sub-alpine huts attract bushwalkers; they are always sited near water and have a toilet. Those ‘in the know’ avoid camping in the huts, preferring to stay nearby in tents; the reason being that most mountain huts have a few resident rats. These rats are not the introduced black rat. They are another rodent of the rat family, the Australian bush rat (Rattus fuscipes). While black rats can make quite a mess, bush rats are cleaner. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two species is that the black rat’s tail is longer than its body while the bush rat’s tail is the same length or shorter than its body. The bush rat has a rounded nose, rather than a pointed nose. The bush rats in the huts are quite brazen in their attempts to steal bushwalkers’ food and seem to spend the whole night scurrying around noisily.
Another native rat is the rakali, or water-rat (Hydromys chrysogaster). These are a semi-aquatic species and around Rushworth can be found in irrigation channels. While black rats are good swimmers they do not swim underwater like the rakali can. The rakali is larger and stays near water. It has been known to prey on the black rat. They are very adaptable and are found in a wide range of habitats. As a child I would watch them in the Waranga Western Channel near my home. I also had some precious minutes watching a rakali in the crystal-clear waters of Three Mile Dam near Cabramurra, the highest town in Australia. In our channels rakali will eat small fish, yabbies and mussels. They take the mussels to the channel bank and, holding them in their front paws, smash the mussels onto the beaching to open them. They have a favourite rock and will leave a small ‘midden’ of broken shells and yabby claws.
Another group of Australian native rodents are the hopping mice, found in arid country. A walk around the clumps of porcupine grass (spinifex) on the sand hills in Wyperfeld NP in northwestern Victoria will quickly reveal their distinctive tracks. They live in burrows dug in the sand using the porcupine grass (spinifex) for protection. They are nocturnal. By using a strong torch or a spotlight you may catch a fleeting glimpse of one. They look quite different to house mice. The various species’ hind legs are like a kangaroo’s and their tails are very long and tipped with a brush, enabling them to hop rather than run.
There are a surprising number of rat-like native rodents and marsupials. All have been impacted by the introduction of foxes and cats and if they are near human habitation, lethal rodent baits. Some, such as the rakali are doing well, others are struggling. Should you come across a rat or mouse in a wilderness area do not try to kill it. It is more likely to be one of our native species.
