Rakali 

Suffering from the connotations of the name 'water rat', which was changed to the indigenous name Rakali in the 1990s, most people aren't even aware of its existence and don't realise this is actually a native species with important ecological value.

Looking similar to a little otter, it dines on invasive pests such as cane toads, black rats and the Northern Pacific Seastar. Packing an ecological punch well above its weight, don't forget to celebrate Rakali Awareness Day on the 18th February each year!

This species eDNA probe is broadly applicable across its range and has been used to detect Rakali in a number of Victorian waterways.