The Australian swamp rat (''Rattus lutreolus''), also known as the eastern swamp rat, is a species of

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

native to the coasts of southern and eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

The Australian swamp rat grows to have a body length of approximately with a tail length of approximately and a mass of about . It has a stocky build with black-brown fur and black feet. Its ventral surface is cream to brown color and it has small ears nearly concealed by hair. The tail is dark grey, scaly and sparsely haired.

Ecology

Range and habitat

The swamp rat is found near the coast of south and

eastern Australia The eastern states of Australia are the states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory ...

. It occurs in

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of ...

country from

Fraser Island Fraser Island (Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fraser ...

down the coast of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

to the

Mount Lofty Ranges The Mount Lofty Ranges are a range of mountains in the Australian state of South Australia which for a small part of its length borders the east of Adelaide. The part of the range in the vicinity of Adelaide is called the Adelaide Hills and ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. A subspecies ''velutinus'' can be found in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, and another subspecies ''lacus'' lives in isolated patches of high altitude

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

near

Atherton, Queensland Atherton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Atherton had a population of 7,331 people. Geography Atherton is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. Atherton is joined by the Gil ...

. The preferred

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of the swamp rat is thick

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic character ...

along watercourses and in swamps. The dense vegetation of islands above the high water mark is also suitable. They can also live in areas of coastal heath, dune scrub,

grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...

and sedgelands. The rats will form

tunnels A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...

through the vegetation through which they can move. The species tends to choose the habitat based on density of vegetation in the area. Areas prone to fire tend not to be recolonised. The swamp rat can be seen at places like the

Healesville Sanctuary Healesville Sanctuary, formally known as the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary, is a zoo specialising in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville in rural Victoria, Australia, and has a history of breeding native animals. It is one of ...

, where they live in the grounds.

Diet

The diet is vegetarian; consisting of reeds, seeds, and swamp grass stems. During the summer months, the species will increase its intake of insects as well as fungi; however, during spring months the rats switch to eating an increased amount of seeds due to their abundance and possible nutritional value in breeding season.Taylor, J. Mary, and John H. Calaby. "Rattus Lutreolus." Mammalian Species 299 (1988): 1. Web.

Behaviour

Feeding

Behaviour is partly

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

and diurnal so it is active during the day and at night. It is thought that the species does not collect the sufficient amount of food throughout the night and must also collect vegetation during the day.Kearney, Nicole, Kathrine Handasyde, Simon Ward, and Michael Kearney. "Fine-scale Microhabitat Selection for Dense Vegetation in a Heathland Rodent, Rattus Lutreolus: Insights from Intraspecific and Temporal Patterns." Austral Ecology 32.3 (2007): 315-25. Web.

Reproduction and Predation

The rats reach sexual maturity around August and start to breed come October. The species has a litter size ranging from one to eleven on average with a gestation period lasting around 23 to 25 days. Olfactory senses are used to smell certain species' odours, allowing them to detect predators.Mcevoy, Joanne, David L. Sinn, and Erik Wapstra.
Know Thy Enemy: Behavioural Response of a Native Mammal (Rattus Lutreolus Velutinus) to Predators of Different Coexistence Histories
" Austral Ecology 33.7 (2008): 922-31. Web.

References

* * A Field Guide to Mammals of Australia Peter Menkhorst & Frank Knight {{Taxonbar, from=Q935477 Rattus Mammals of Tasmania Mammals of South Australia Mammals of Queensland Mammals of New South Wales Mammals of Victoria (Australia) Rodents of Australia Mammals described in 1841 Taxa named by John Edward Gray