The song below describes Australia's Water Rat.  This semi aquatic animal is one of Australia's many native animals growing to around 60cm in length.  It is mostly nocturnal and not often seen but by no means rare.  These white tipped tailed Rats were hunted for their pelts in the Barmah area in the last 1800s.  The Chorus has been recorded on this site so melody can be learnt.  Crays and Yabbies are freshwater Cray Fish.  Fresh water mussels are a bivalve mollusc that are one of the most common forms of animal life that can be found in freshwater rivers in inland Australia.

The White Tipped Tail Water Rat

(Chorus)

The water rat lives in the roots and the reeds

Yabbies and crays meet most of his needs

You don't see him by the light of the day

That's when Mr Water rat hides away

On the banks of the lakes and the rivers

In the mud water rat slithers

He leaves behind a foot print trail

And some times marks from his white tipped tail

Chorus

When water rats in a hungry mood

Fresh water mussels do for food

They're hard to open but he has teeth for the job

He opens those shells sitting on a log

Chorus

Water rat loves to duck and dive

Chasing fish keeps him alive

If the currents fast he goes with flow

If it's not he swims along real slow

Chorus