[Pil-pc-oceania] The Role of Rodents in a Permaculture System

[Deb Guildner]

Thanks Graham - and other bush dwellers- for this interesting dissertation 
on the various forms of rattus.  You've passed on some very good tips, as 
well as elucidating ecological data, which I have filed away for future 
reference..

Cheers
Deb
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Graeme George - Earthcare Permaculture" <earthcarepc at virtual.net.au>
To: "permacultue discussion list" 
<pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] The Role of Rodents in a Permaculture System


> Deb
>
> You've touched on a sore point with me. There is no such animal as a
> "native marsupial rat". Rats are rodents. We have a large number of
> native rats and mice and a few introduced pest ones. The marsupial
> antechinuses, dunnarts and their relatives are small insectivorous
> cousins of quolls and tassie devils, and, of course have a totally
> different diet and ecology as well. Apart from being mammals, the only
> thing they have in common with rodents is their size. For those who may
> be a bit rusty on their biology, antechinuses are more closely related
> to kangaroos, bandicoots and koalas than they are to rodents and rodents
> are more closely related to cats, whales and humans than they are to
> marsupials. Referring to these native marsupials as "rats" is a legacy
> of the English settlers of this country who saw everything in European
> terms. We moved away from that cultural cringe over forty years ago.
> Check out the Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals by
> Ronald Strahan to see what might be in your area.
>
> Antechinuses are world renowned for the fact that all the males die off
> after a mating frenzy in late winter, leaving the females to rear the
> next generation. I'm sure you knew that, and that every Australian with
> an interest in the environment is aware of how unusual our marsupials
> are. They need to be referred to with respect for their uniqueness. Just
> as many of us are developing a pattern language for permaculture, we
> need to be aware of the language we use in other areas as well. Language
> is a tool for communication and "native marsupial rat" sends the wrong
> message.
>
> Permies get upset when non-permies refer to permaculture as a hippy form
> of gardening. Naturalists and biologists get upset when archaic terms
> like "native cat" and "marsupial mice" keep cropping up!
>
> Regards
>
> Graeme George
> Healesville, Victoria.
>
> Deb Guildner wrote:
>> Are we distinguishing feral rattus from native marsupial rats....which 
>> may
>> have differing ecological roles?
>>
>> Deb
>>
>
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