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Otterrats -Lutrattidae-

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Description

Otterrats (Lutrattidae) are a diverse family of aquatic rodents, descendants of the brown rat (R. norvegicus), living both in sea and fresh water. They are widely distributed through the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean coastal areas, as well as freshwater ecosystems in Europe, Northern Africa and the Americas. The representatives of this family are remarkble for having a wide, flattened tail, broad membranes between the long toes, elongated, streamlined body, and the small auricles, eyes and nostrils shifted to the top of the head, which clearly are morphological adaptations for living in the aquatic environment. These species differ in another feature more: their incisors grow very close to each other and are directed forward, forming a structure similar to a beak or hook (rhamphincisorium) that portrudes out of the mouth. At fishing forms this "beak" is long and sharp, helping to catch the slippery prey. At mollusc-eating species it is powerfull and masive.

The picture shows a ring tailed otterrat (Lutrattus fasciatocaudus)
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TaiFerret's avatar
The black rat is Rattus rattus. R. norvegicus would be the brown rat.

There are actually a number of semi-aquatic rodents. Of course beavers are the most well known, but there are also water voles, coypus and various rodents simply known as "water rats". I think Australian water rats are actually nicknamed "otter rats", or maybe that nickname is more often used for coypus, I'm not sure.