It is time to save the bush rat

"Australia is home to about 50 living species of rats that have adapted to its environments over thousands if not millions of years."

"Dr Finnerty said in the case of the bush rat it had multiple roles including as ecosystem engineers.We know them to be really good pollinators, especially of our banksias. They're good at moving seeds and eating seeds ... they're really good dispersers of fungi spores, the mushrooms that are so key to our ecosystems."

"They're really good at kicking out black rats."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-02-28/smelly-bush-rat-towels-sydney-urban-rewilding/106368332
#biodiversity #BushRat #RattusFuscipes #BlackRats #rats #owls #goannas

I checked the wildlife camera and it seems we've had some of our local wildlife pop by in the wee hours of the mornings lately.

A Swamp Wallaby and its Joey feeding on grass seeds:

https://youtu.be/WF-qGgP_rIw

And one of our very cute native Bush Rats bounding about:

https://youtu.be/Z3NVGNEV3fk

#AustralianWildlife #WildOz #SwampWallaby #BushRat #marsupial #macropod #rodent #video

Not only did Australia get all the cute possums, but it looks like they may have gotten the cutest rats, too.

#Australia #BushRat #rats

https://toot.community/@ProfundumPhoto/111945305482006375

An interesting haul of videos after changing the memory cards in my trail cameras out in Scheyville National Park, out to Sydney’s west.

I’m primarily interested in understanding the presence and movements of the foxes. This was unexpected - it appears to be an Australian bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) - an Australian native rodent.

#wildlife #scheyville #TrailCamera #TrailCameras #BushRat