Swimming Rats
Anadeuteropoda
These are among the best swimmers of
all the rats, the hind feet are longer in
proportion to it's body size. It is
because of these special adaptations
that these rats are capable of swimming
well against rough currents in their river
home.
Psariomys
This is a rather small rat that swims, but
is quite an aggressive hunter. The long
whiskers help this animal in feeling in
murky water for their fishy prey. They
then use their sharp, fishhook-style
teeth to grab their prey, which is then
taken to shore and eaten.
Ugromyops
This is a brightly colored calm water
rat. The blunt muzzle and long whiskers
are both adaptations for feeling the
murky water base for their prey, which
includes snails and bottom-feeding fish.
Potamozoicus
Purely a river rat. They are designed to
fight against even the roughest river
currents. This animal is no bigger than
an average house rat, but they can
tackle fish much larger than themselves.
These are rats with specialized type feet. The back feet are enlarged and
paddle-shaped, while the front feet have been greatly reduced to flippers.
The rear feet is what they use solely for locomotion, with an out-ward,
circular motion. The tail is long and flat, the ears are tiny, and all species
have double eyelids. They act as natural goggles, and close tight while the
animal is under water, yet is transparent enough so they can still see. The
nostrils are flexible and close tightly while underwater.