Rattus lutreolus
Silhouette: Kawinwit Kittipalawattanapol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The Australian swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus), also known as the eastern swamp rat, is a species of rat native to the coasts of southern and eastern Australia. The Australian swamp rat grows to have a body length of approximately 160 millimetres (6 in) with a tail length of approximately 110 mm (4.3 in) and a mass of about 120 grams (4 oz). It has a stocky build with black-brown fur and black feet. Its ventral surface is cream to brown color and it has small ears nearly concealed by hair. The tail is dark grey, scaly and sparsely haired.
The swamp rat is found near the coast of south and eastern Australia. It occurs in lowland country from Fraser Island down the coast of New South Wales and Victoria to the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. A subspecies velutinus can be found in Tasmania, and another subspecies lacus lives in isolated patches of high altitude rainforest near Atherton, Queensland.
The preferred habitat of the swamp rat is thick vegetation along watercourses and in swamps. The dense vegetation of islands above the high water mark is also suitable. They can also live in areas of coastal heath, dune scrub, grasslands... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Swamp Rat sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 30 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–June, August and October–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Swamp Rat in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Swamp Rat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Australian Swamp Rat sightings, Great Otway National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Booderee National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Swamp Rat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Great Otway National Park (42 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
