Northern hopping mouse

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.

Northern hopping mouse
N. aquilo at Wurruwarrkbadenumanja, Groote Eylandt
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Notomys
Species:
N. aquilo
Binomial name
Notomys aquilo
Thomas, 1921

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.[2]

This species lives in sandy soils on heathlands and grasslands. It is nocturnal. It consumes seeds and sometimes other plant material and invertebrates.[2] The mouse hops, leaving bipedal tracks.[3] Several individuals live communally in burrows.[2][3]

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.[3]

References

  1. Woinarski, J.; Burbidge, A.A. (2016). "Notomys aquilo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14862A22401364. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T14862A22401364.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Notomys aquilo. Archived 2011-03-28 at the Wayback Machine Northern Territory Government Department of Natural Resources, Environment, and the Arts.
  3. Notomys aquilo. Archived 2011-08-16 at the Wayback Machine Queensland Government Environment and Resource Management.


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