What Rats Are in Australia?

Scientists first started naming rodents found in Australia in the 18th century. Some, such as the pebble-mouse, were so uncommon that they eluded recognition for so long. Now, the lizard has a name, and it is a species of rat.

Australia is home to over 60 species of native rodents. Eight of them are Rattus. They evolved from ancestors who arrived about a million years ago. The native Rattus are similar in size to black rats, but they’re more slender and chubbier. Their larger cousin, the brown rat, is twice as large as the black rat. Luckily for us, native rats have largely escaped from the black rat population in Australia.

The brown rat, or water-rat, is one of the easiest to identify among the different species of rats found in Australia. It has a slanted snout and a thick, white-tipped tail. The rat lives in water bodies and is a common sight in Melbourne at dusk. It feeds on mussels, yabbies and other sea creatures.

Australia has a large number of indigenous rodent species, all of which are members of the family Muridae. The oldest members of this group are the ‘Old endemics’, which originated in Asia four to three million years ago. The other species, the brown rat, was accidentally introduced to Australia with European settlement.