Big-eared Hopping Mouse
| Big-eared Hopping Mouse | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Murinae |
| Genus: | Notomys |
| Species: | N. macrotis |
| Binomial name | |
| Notomys macrotis Thomas, 1921 |
|
The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) is an extinct species of mouse, which lived in the Moore River area of south-western Australia. The big-eared hopping mouse was a small, rat-sized animal resembling a tiny kangaroo. It moved by bounding upon its enlarged hind feet.
Hopping mice are vulnerable to agriculture and pastoralism, as well as introduced cats and foxes. The last record dates from 19 July 1843 and was collected by John Gilbert, who was employed by John Gould. The hopping mouse was probably the first Australian mammal to succumb to European settlers. It is known from two damaged specimens held in the Natural History Museum, London.
The big-eared hopping mouse was among many hopping mice to be extinct. It had no defenses against Australia's introduced species. This mouse's extinction can be shown as a ramification of environmental alteration by humans.
[edit] References
- ^ Morris, K. & Burbidge, A. (2008). Notomys macrotis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2009.
 |
This Murinae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
