Mammal
Long-tailed Hopping Mouse
Notomys longicaudatusAlso known as Long-tailed Hopping-mouse, Koolawa
Long-tailed hopping mice were desert-adapted bipedal rodents capable of leaping swiftly across open ground on elongated hind feet. They excavated deep, intricate burrow systems in stiff clay soils to escape extreme daytime heat and conserve precious moisture. Predation by introduced feral cats and foxes, coupled with habitat degradation caused by livestock grazing, drove this rodent to extinction in the early twentieth century.
BipedalDesert
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAcacia seeds, Native grass roots, Desert invertebrates
Predators
- Feral cat
- Red fox
- Barn owl
ThreatsPredation by feral cats and red foxes, pastoral habitat degradation
HabitatsArid shrublands, claypans, acacia scrub
Life spanLikely 2–4 years
Classification
- OrderRodentia
- FamilyMuridae
- GenusNotomys
- SpeciesNotomys longicaudatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Museum Collections: Study historical skins and skeletal specimens in Australian and European museums.
- Pellet Discoveries: Report any subfossil rodent skulls found in desert cave owl deposits to research institutions.
Predator (c) chloe ⋆˚꩜｡, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) caroline legg, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Stephen Michael Barnett from Darwin, Australia / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative Close Relative Close Relative
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