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Untidy wrote:

6 Nov 2024

Thank you. Yes it is climbing the fence. I posted it for amusement value. I know I shouldn't do that.

Rattus rattus

DonFletcher wrote:

6 Nov 2024

The photo by itself would be insufficient to distinguish between a large number of species of rodents in Australia. However, if these are fence palings about 1 cm thick, the animal is too big for Mus musculus (House Mouse); and in this location, i.e. an urban area in Canberra; and position, i.e. climbing a fence; we can discount all the alternative species other than Rattus rattus, therefore I will confirm.

Rattus rattus

DonFletcher wrote:

12 Aug 2024

Thanks @ianelz, More photos is almost always better with ID. However from these photos I cant tell, but I could guess that a flap of skin in that location might be a scrotum or a penis sheath. And I don't know about the openings. Are any of them due to the predator? I confirmed as R rattus from the first photo. If you are not satisfied, for greater certainty, other moderators can be engaged (see names listed for each species category) but I am pretty confident what this specimen is, even without the head being present, partly because there are so few species of small mammals in Canberra. (None are native). The native Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes) found in parts of Namadgi and Tidbinbilla, is notoriously similar in appearance to Rattus rattus but it has a tail shorter than its head-body length, which this specimen does not.

Rattus rattus

ianelz wrote:

11 Aug 2024

Hi, @DonFletcher I have uploaded the additional photos includin one showing the lower underside. There appear to be two openings, one down near the tail and the other firther up with a flap of skin just in front of it. I would be happy for this to be Rattus rattus as that would meant that local moggies have not killed a native animal.

Rattus rattus

DonFletcher wrote:

11 Aug 2024

Hi @ianelz CarbonAI is the name of the artificial intelligence program which is learning to identify phots by us correcting its mistakes. Not a pouch (look again), Definitely R rattus.

Rattus rattus

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