RATS IN TREES! SAY
IT ISN’T SO.
by J.E. Rogers
Most of
us don’t like the idea of rats, but rats in trees raises that dislike to a new
level. This week we’ll meet a rat that is mainly arboreal. Yes, there are rats
in the trees in Australia. When you think about it, that makes sense. Everything
in Australia is different. And that’s an understatement.
A few
weeks ago, I saw an article about this creature and I decided that he needed
top billing. So, this week we’ll learn a bit about him. He’s called the
Black-Footed Tree Rat.
Photo credit:
australianwildlife.org
The
Black-Footed Tree Rat lives in the northern regions of Australia.
Image credit: nt.gov.au
It is a
member of the murid family which includes all species of rats, mice, and voles.
In fact, it is one of the largest members of the murid family.
Image credit: Wikipedia
It has a
course grayish/brown coat with a white underbelly and a long black and white
tail. And, of course, it has black feet. It is a folivore, which means its diet consists mainly of leaves, but it
will eat fruit and an occasional termite.
It is
considered ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN*.
This
nocturnal and solitary rat has made the news recently because, after three
decades of being absent from the Kimberley area of Australia, it has been
rediscovered there. They live in tree hollows, and although wildlife experts
are aware of the decrease in their population, they have been unable to pinpoint
the main cause. However, deforestation and predation by feral cats are having
an effect, but to what degree is unknown. There is ongoing research to
determine the optimum manner in which to proceed to ensure their survival in
the wild.
You can
read more about the re-discovery of the Black-Footed Tree Rat here:
Photo credit: Hugh Davies
Thanks
for stopping by and visiting. I hope you’ll be by again.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E. Rogers, Award
Winning Author
The Sword of Demelza, The
Gift of Sunderland,
One Hot Mess, A Child’s
Environmental Fable,
and my newly published book,
Kohana, A Native American Creation Myth. Visit http://kohanawolf.com to learn more about this
marvelous myth and how the wolf became man’s best friend.
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