Ten fun facts about Water Rats
Fact 1
Water rats have water-repellent fur which is soft and dense. They have broad, partially webbed hind feet, which make them strong swimmers. Their thick muscular tail is heavily furred and mostly dark except for a white tip.
Fact 2
They are generally dark on top and light-colored underneath with belly fur ranging in color from cream to golden/orange. The fur of the more aggressive water rats is dark underneath.
Fact 3
Water rats are nocturnal animals and move from burrow to burrow. They are solitary by nature.
Fact 4
Their basin-shaped molars are quite distinctive from those of other rodents.
Fact 5
They live in a variety of freshwater habitats in Australia which include sub-alpine streams and inland waterways, lakes, swamps, irrigation channels and farm dams.
Fact 6
Water rats are mainly carnivores and eat crustaceans, aquatic insects, fish, small birds, frogs, reptiles, spiders, mussels and plants as a last resort.
Fact 7
They have a pair of distinctive chisel shaped incisors with hard yellow enamel on front surfaces.
Fact 8
Water rats hold prey in their forepaws, sit on a log or rock and eat them noisily.
Fact 9
Their bodies are 231mm to 370mm and they weigh from 340 g – 1275 mg
Fact 10
Water rats give birth to 1 to 7 young. The breeding peaks in spring and summer. The gestation period is around 34 days. Females can product up to 5 litters per year.
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Rats
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea.
Toads
Are tail-less amphibians with stout bodies and long hind limbs for leaping of the family Bugonidae.
Caimans
Are large aquatic reptiles commonly referred as the Spectacled Caiman as the ridges above their eyes appear as if they wear sunglasses.
Platypuses
Is a warm blood mammal that belongs to the monotreme group that lay eggs.
Ant Eaters
Are burrowing nocturnal animals, belonging to the suborder Vermilingua.
Manatees
Are gentle aquatic mammals with bodies that taper to a flat paddle shaped tail.
Flamingos
Are pink to scarlet colored, web-footed wading birds with down-bent bills.
Quolls
Are medium sized marsupials and belong to the genus Dasyurus, which means “hairy tail”.
Eels
Are snake-like fish from the order Anguilliformes that occupy both fresh water as well as saltwater habitats.
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