Common Water Rat vs

Hydromys chrysogaster compared with Hyphoderma definitum

Key Differences

• Common Water Rat is Least Concern while is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Water Rat
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Fungi (菌界)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索動物)	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳類)	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)
Order	Rodentia (ネズミ目)	Polyporales (多孔菌目)
Family	Muridae (Mice & Rats)	Hyphodermataceae
Genus	Hydromys	Hyphoderma
Species	Hydromys chrysogaster	Hyphoderma definitum

Conservation Status

Common Water Rat

LC — Least Concern

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Water Rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Water Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Common Water Rat

<em>Hydromys chrysogaster</em>, commonly known as the common water rat or rakali, is a semi-aquatic rodent in the family Muridae, native to Australia and New Guinea. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its relatively stable population across a broad range of freshwater and estuarine habitats on the Australian continent and associated islands. The species typically inhabits the banks of rivers, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries, where it constructs burrows in streambanks. It is highly adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, with partially webbed hind feet, a flattened head, and a dense waterproof coat. <em>Hydromys chrysogaster</em> is a carnivore, typically feeding on fish, crustaceans, mussels, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates, which it often carries to elevated feeding platforms to consume. The species is nocturnal and crepuscular, most active during early morning and evening hours near the water's edge. Biological traits including average lifespan, body length, and weight remain poorly documented in standardized databases, though adults are generally robust for a rodent, reportedly reaching body lengths of 20–35 cm excluding the tail. Geographic range details for this particular record remain incompletely documented in available data sources. Ecologically, the common water rat is an important apex predator in small-scale freshwater food webs and serves as an indicator species for wetland health in Australian riparian systems.

Hyphoderma definitumはタマチョレイタケ科（Polyporaceae）の皮革菌類で、情報不足（DD）と評価されている。森林環境の腐木上に薄い復着子実体を形成する。限られた採集記録により、包括的な保全評価が困難である。