Mammals
Bush Rat
Rattus fuscipes
Along a faint runway through the undergrowth of an Australian forest at night, a bush rat digs up a buried fungus, a native rat that has nothing to do with the pest species of the same name.
Overview
The bush rat, Rattus fuscipes, is a Least Concern rodent native to the forests, woodlands, and heaths of eastern, southern, and southwestern Australia. Its nocturnal habits, fungus-eating, and role as prey for native predators make it a quiet but useful part of Australian forest life.
A native rat, not a pest
Many people assume every rat in Australia is an introduced pest, but the bush rat belongs to the continent’s own long-established rodent fauna.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common in suitable forest and heath habitat.
Bush Rat: common questions
Is the bush rat the same as the black rat or brown rat?
No, the bush rat is a native Australian rodent, separate from the introduced black rat and brown rat.
How does the bush rat help forests?
It eats underground fungi and spreads their spores in its droppings, which can help forest plants.
Is the bush rat active by day?
No, it forages at night and shelters in burrows or beneath logs by day.
Where is the bush rat found?
It lives in forest, woodland, and heath along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia and in the southwest.