Rattus villosissimus, the Long- haired Rat is a species of rodent in the Muridae family which is native to Australia. The Long-haired rat is well known for its population eruptions over vast areas of Australia which is the basis of its alternative common name, the Plague Rat. Most of the research on the Long-haired rat has been conducted during times of massive population fluctuations and therefore little is known about their biology in a non-eruptive period.

Description
Rattus villosissimus, the Long- haired Rat. Photographed in Strzelecki Desert, South Australia Photographed here as it is released from a cloth sack, this individual was bi-catch in traps set as ecology research by UNSW.
Author: Benjamint444 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Benjamint444
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