Kingdom Animalia Order Rodentia Genus Notomys Higher classification Hopping mouse | Phylum Chordata Family Muridae Scientific name Notomys aquilo Rank Species | |
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Similar Hopping mouse, Fawn hopping mouse, Dusky hopping mouse, Mammal, Little native mouse | ||
Northern hopping mouse no 3
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.
Contents
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.
This species lives in sandy soils on heathlands and grasslands. It is nocturnal. It consumes seeds and sometimes other plant material and invertebrates. The mouse hops, leaving bipedal tracks. Several individuals live communally in burrows.
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.