Australian swamp rat
| Australian swamp rat | ||||||||||||
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Australian swamp rat ( Rattus lutreolus ), drawing by John Gould |
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| Rattus lutreolus | ||||||||||||
| ( JE Gray , 1841) |
The Australian swamp rat ( Rattus lutreolus ) is a rodent in the long-tailed mouse family .
The population in the Atherton Tablelands is given species status in individual publications . In Mammal Species of the World and the IUCN , it is counted among the Australian swamp rat because there is no clear genetic evidence.
features
The species reaches a head-to-trunk length of 122 to 197 mm, a tail length of 56 to 147 mm and an average weight of 115 g. The fur on the upper side is gray-brown to dark gray, while the underside is lighter brownish to cream-colored. Some hair on the back has golden tips. The Australian swamp rat has small ears that are mostly hidden in the fur. It has a scaled tail with scattered hair.
distribution
This rat occurs with several separate populations in coastal regions of eastern and southeastern Australia . It can still be found all over Tasmania . The Australian swamp rat prefers humid landscapes with sour grasses and heather . In Tasmania, it also uses moist forests with hard- leaved plants or other deciduous trees and bogs with button grass ( Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus ) as a habitat . The species avoids sparsely vegetated swamps, presumably to avoid detection by birds of prey.
Way of life
Depending on the distribution, females can reproduce between spring and autumn, or throughout the year. Outside of oestrus , they are aggressive towards males. After mating and a three to four week gestation period , three to five young are born, each weighing around 5 g. Females reach sexual maturity after about three months. You can have several litters in the same year (after birth in spring) or in the following year. Some captive specimens lived a year and isolated individuals could reach an age of 2.4 years.
The Australian swamp rat mainly eats leaves and plant stems, which are supplemented with seeds, fruits and insects in the warm months. Roots and subterranean fungi are seldom part of the diet.
The Australian swamp rat and humans
The meat of this rat originally belonged to the food of the Aborigines . It has since been replaced by the meat of other animals.
In mainland Australia, the species lost part of its range after the arrival of European immigrants. Although the total population is decreasing, the Australian swamp rat is not considered to be endangered ( Least Concern ). It is native to various nature reserves.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Rattus lutreolus ).
- ↑ a b c Rattus lutreolus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Burnett, S., Menkhorst, P., Ellis, M. & Denny, M., 2008. Accessed June 27, 2016th
- ↑ a b c d e Cindy Felcher: Australian swamp rat in the Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved June 27, 2016.