We’ve had a bit of rain, last few days. Nothing special. We’re used to it here. Some say folks on the harbors all have webbed feet. Could be, could be, but… I guess it’s time to tell you we’re not alone. Some of our furry friends are fond of water too. Here are four of them you may not have heard of before. Three descriptions are true, and one is not. Can you guess which?

Flesh-Eating Swamp Wallabies

The swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is found in many eastern Australian wetland habitats. It’s also known as the black wallaby, black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby… and also stinker or black stinker on account of its characteristic swampy odor.

Swamp wallabies will eat a wide range of plants including natural vegetation, agricultural crops, and a variety of plants poisonous to other animals such as bracken ferns, hemlock and lantana. Swamp wallabies have been observed eating meat, as well.

According to Aboriginal people of the Bundjalung Nation, the swamp wallaby was considered inedible due to its less-than-toothesome smell and taste.

Moonrat

The moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) is not a rat, nor even a rodent. It’s a rat-like southeast Asian mammal related to hedgehogs. Moonrats can be over two feet long, counting their tails, and they’re fond of swampy habitats. In fact, moonrats are more aquatic than not, kind of like a carnivorous muskrat. Moonrats have been observed to hold their breaths for up to two minutes, and dive as deep as ten feet in search of the aquatic worms, shrimp, and small fish on which they feed.

Fishing Cat

The fishing cat is a medium-sized, spotted and striped wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It’s about twice the size of a domestic cat, and stocky and muscular with medium to short legs.

This cat is strongly associated with wetlands: inhabiting swamps and marshy areas around oxbow lakes, reed beds, tidal creeks and mangrove forests. The fishing cat’s paws have webbing between the toes to help it swim and walk in muddy wetlands without sinking. It can swim long distances, and even swim under water. Fishing cats have been observed grabbing prey from the water with their claws and teeth, and sometimes diving into deep water to catch prey further from the banks.

Their main prey is fish; scat collected in India's Keoladeo National Park revealed that fish comprises approximately three-quarters of their diet, with the remainder consisting of birds, insects, and small rodents.

Marsh Mongoose

The marsh mongoose is found in swampy habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It inhabits freshwater wetlands such as marshes and swamps along slow-moving rivers and streams, but also estuaries in coastal areas.

The marsh mongoose is an excellent swimmer, and is capable of diving beneath the water’s surface in search of prey, although prey is brought to the shore to be killed and consumed. Scat of marsh mongooses has been found to contain the remains of molluscs, crustaceans, amphibians, insects and fish. Marsh mongooses also prey on land creatures such as rodents, snakes, spiders, and insects. Fruits and berries and seeds are also consumed.