Sunday 5 February 2017

Which Rat is That?

How do you know if that scurrying flash is friend or foe. The Australian museum has a page dedicated to explaining the differences, which is summarised below.

How to tell

Black/ Brown Rat

  • Behaviour:
    • Active day and night, fearless around humans 
    • Agile climber of trees, fences, wires and roofs 
  • Nest: Made of shredded materials such as paper, insulation 
  • Tail : Long in relation to body, parsley haired and scaly 
  • Fur: Sleek smooth coat
  • Ears: Big and thin
  • Teeth:1 pair of chisel shaped incisors with yellow enamel

Native Bush Rat

  • Behaviour :
    • Shy, not found where people frequent 
    • Nest in dense understorey in short burrows under logs and rocks 
  • Nest: lined with grass 
  • Tail: Shorter than the body in length 
  • Fur:Dense soft fur 
  • Ears:rounded 
  • Teeth:1 pair of chisel shaped incisors with yellow enamel

Antechinus (Not a rat- it's a marsupial mouse)

  • Behaviour: 
    • Found in bushland not urban areas 
    • Shelter in spherical nests, logs 
  • Tail:Sparsley haired, same length as body or shorter 
  • Ears:Large and crinkly 
  • Teeth: 4 rows of small sharp incisors


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