Hydromys chrysogaster

6 Rakali or Water Rat at Belconnen, ACT

Hydromys chrysogaster at Belconnen, ACT - 6 Jun 2019
Hydromys chrysogaster at Belconnen, ACT - 6 Jun 2019
Hydromys chrysogaster at Belconnen, ACT - 6 Jun 2019
Hydromys chrysogaster at Belconnen, ACT - 6 Jun 2019
Hydromys chrysogaster at Belconnen, ACT - 6 Jun 2019
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Identification history

Hydromys chrysogaster 8 Jun 2019 DonFletcher
Hydromys chrysogaster 7 Jun 2019 AlisonMilton

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User's notes

Watched these rats for 30 minutes. First spotted one going into rushes at the edge of the lake, then it spent some time 'hunting' before venturing out into deeper water and returned with what looked like a yabby (photo 4). A while later he emerged and made his way across this section of the lake, till he reached a wall on the other side. Following the wall to a patch of grasses he 'startled' a second rat that jumped into the lake on his approach. The two rats then engaged in what I initially thought a mating ritual but on reviewing my photos it seems one had caught a large yabby and the second rat was attempting to sneak up to steal the prey (photo 2). This ensured for about 5 minutes. There was then some further interaction out in the water (photo 5). Both rats then retreated back to the 'female' territory where one kept dipping its face into the water and perhaps preening (photo 1).

1 comment

Waterwatch wrote:
   11 Jun 2019
Thanks for the detailed notes Alison. Some really useful observations there.

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Sighting information

  • 2 Abundance
  • 6 Jun 2019 02:19 PM Recorded on
  • AlisonMilton Recorded by

Species information

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