This isn't a rat - it's a rakali

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The image is not that of a rat but of a rakali. It’s an Australian marsupial and often mistaken for the common brown or black rat. It was once called a ‘water rat’ but ‘rakali’ was adopted because of the negative connotations associated with ‘rat’. Their scientific name, Hydromys chrysogaster, translates to ‘golden-bellied water mouse’. The rakali has now been found to be quietly thriving in Melbourne’s waterways as well as in other areas. They chew or slip their way out of monitoring gear so have been hard to track. Nicknamed Australia’s answer to the otter, the rakali has water-repellent fur, partially webbed hind feet, a streamlined body and a long, rudder-like tail. The main giveaway is the white tail tip. One way researchers know rakalis are in an area is by the tidy pile of bones and shells they leave behind after having dined on invertebrates or crustaceans. They can also safely eat a cane toad, carefully cutting out the toxic glands before dining on the remains. They are in our south-west but I’ve yet to see one. The photo is from Wikimedia and was taken by ZooPro. Edited to add that they chase off and/or dispose of the introduced rats which is a good thing.