So, when someone is called a bush rat, we now know it’s a compliment.
>Why are native rats so important?
Australia is home to about 50 living species of rats that have adapted to its environments over thousands if not millions of years.
These rats often perform essential roles in nature…
“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…
Bush rats have been shown to keep black rats from reinvading places the native species is re-established.
Black rats often like to nest in homes and eat your food, but bush rats prefer to avoid developed places.
“[Bush rats] tend to live in these dense, complex, vegetated, native bushlands,” Ms Wauchope said.
Boosting bush rat numbers can also help feed native predators — like goannas, owls and snakes.
Without bush rats these predators sometimes will eat poisoned black rats and then die themselves.
Dee Why, Curl Curl, North Curl Curl and North Manly are such aussie names. I love it xD
I’ve Been Everywhere, Man - Australian version
Yes, those are all real places.
How about Betoota, Oodnadatta and Wagga Wagga?
Sounds like an elephant, a snake and a good boi. Approved!
😆 Great images!
Well, Betoota is an adaptation of the local indigenous name meaning Dust storm. Oodnadatta comes from the phrase Blossom of the Mulga (mulga is a type of Aussie acacia) Wagga Wagga means something like Dance and celebrations.
That’s a weird name. I woulda called it a dolliwollidoo.
Another quality name.
I had bush rat regularly sneaking to my house to feast on fruit bowl. Cute and stupid.
You must not have enough vegetation in your area because native rats don’t usually like going into built up areas. Not so stupid if it managed to find the fruit bowl!
Yeah, I have the bush right outside my backyard, which is mostly bush too. So there’s plenty of wildlife, but they mostly prefer to stay outside.
