This is an Australian water-rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) and I first encountered one when I was quite fit and running around the lake every morning with a friend.
It always seemed like they would only show up when one of us decided not to brave the harsh winter frosts, opting instead to sleep in and stay warm and cosy in our beds, so we started to call them "Mythical" because we never seemed to see them together. We also only ever saw them at dusk or twilight, so jokingly, we decided they would only show themselves to the dedicated and would make the rare glimpse of one diving into the water seem like a reward for our run.
I have been trying photograph some reference pictures for a while now and only ever got a couple of quick pictures, I decided this is because they are rare and elusive and only show themselves to the fit, my bubble was about to burst.
A couple of days ago I went for a walk in the middle of the day with my mum and my son, (I rarely run these days) and to my absolute surprise and delight we found four rats feasting on scraps left for the ducks, I got some decent reference photos and got to look at them very closely.
They are beautiful little guys, so full of personality, cheeky, boisterous and amazingly graceful in the water, they have lovely long black tails, webbed back feet and very thick, almost waterproof fur. I immediately knew I needed to include one in my next drawing.
So keep your eyes out for these little guys next time you venture down to a lake in Canberra.
They will still remain our little mythical beasts and this particular one is for Trish, my running buddy and one of the very best friends anyone could be blessed with.
Some WIP
