Northern hopping mouse
| Northern hopping mouse | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Notomys |
| Species: | N. aquilo |
| Binomial name | |
| Notomys aquilo Thomas, 1921 | |
The northern hopping mouse (Notomys aquilo) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in coastal northern Australia, from Arnhem Land to the Cobourg Peninsula.
This mouse weighs 25 to 30 grams and is brown above and white below. Its long tail measures 150% of its body length and it has long hind feet up to 4 centimeters long.[1]
This species lives in sandy soils on heathlands and grasslands. It is nocturnal. It consumes seeds and sometimes other plant material and invertebrates.[1] The mouse hops, leaving bipedal tracks.[2] Several individuals live communally in burrows.[1][2]
Threats to this species include habitat alteration, such as changes in the fire regime and the effects of livestock. Feral cats watch the burrows and may consume several individuals in a night.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 Notomys aquilo. Northern Territory Government Department of Natural Resources, Environment, and the Arts.
- 1 2 3 Notomys aquilo. Queensland Government Environment and Resource Management.
External links
- Baillie, J. 1996. Notomys aquilo. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 September 2011.
- Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 894–1531. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- Jones, Ann (14 March 2015). "The engineering mouse builds its dream house". Off Track. ABC Radio National.
- "Notomys aquilo". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 442588.