Desert rat-kangaroo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desert rat-kangaroo |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Caloprymnus
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| Species: |
campestris
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| Historic desert rat kangaroo range in orange | |
The desert rat-kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris) was a small, hopping marsupial that lived in the deserts of Central Australia. It was also known as the buff-nosed rat-kangaroo or plains rat-kangaroo. This unique animal is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists. It was first discovered in the early 1840s. John Gould officially described it in London in 1843. He used three specimens sent to him by George Grey, who was the governor of South Australia.
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What Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Look Like?
The desert rat-kangaroo looked a bit like a tiny kangaroo. It was about the size of a small rabbit. Its body and head together measured about 25 to 28 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. Its tail was even longer, from 30 to 37 centimeters (12 to 15 inches).
Its head was short, wide, and had a blunt shape. Unlike other kangaroos, its nose was bare, and its ears were short and round.
The fur of the desert rat-kangaroo was perfect for its desert home. It was a pale yellowish-brown color. This helped it blend in with the sandy and dry surroundings. Its belly was white, and its feet and tail were a very light yellowish-brown.
One special thing about this animal was the big difference in size between its front and back legs. Its front legs were very thin and light. But its back legs were much larger and stronger. This difference helped it to hop and jump, which is called saltation. It also had a long, thin tail that helped with balance when hopping.
Where Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Live?
The desert rat-kangaroo lived in a fairly small area of South Australia. This area also stretched a little into southwestern Queensland and the Northern Territory. The last time it was definitely seen was in 1935. This sighting was in the eastern Lake Eyre basin of northern South Australia.
This animal made its home in the desert regions of Australia. It lived in places like clay pans, sandy areas, and rocky plains. Its natural home was very dry, with not many plants for cover. The plants that did grow there included saltbush and emu bush.
How Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Live?
The desert rat-kangaroo usually lived alone. The only time they were together was when a mother had young ones. They built their nests in shallow dips in the ground. These nests were very important in the hot desert. They provided cover from the sun and heat, as there weren't many bushes or trees around.
Female desert rat-kangaroos would line their nests with grass. They even used their tails to carry the grass! Then, they would cover the nest with small twigs. This helped to hide them from the hot sun. Often, you could see them peeking out of their nests to look around. They spent most of the day in their nests. They would come out at sunset to find food. This means they were at least partly nocturnal, active at night.
What Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Eat?
The desert rat-kangaroo was mostly a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It fed on the leaves and stems of desert plants. Sometimes, it also ate insects like beetles. It was amazing at surviving without much water. It could even live without drinking any surface water. It got all the water it needed from the green plants it ate.
How Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Move?
This animal had a very special way of hopping. When it moved fast, it leaned forward and stretched its long tail out behind it. Unlike some other marsupials, the desert rat-kangaroo would land with its right foot in front of its left foot. It was also very fast and could keep going for a long time. One person reported chasing one for over 19 kilometers (12 miles)!
How Did the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Reproduce?
Female desert rat-kangaroos could have babies when they were about 11 months old. Males were ready to mate about two months later. Females were generally larger than males. They could mate throughout the year, usually every three weeks. However, they had certain times of the year when most mating happened.
Mothers with young in their pouches were found between June and December. Like all marsupials, the babies were born very tiny and undeveloped. They likely stayed in the mother's pouch for two to three months. Females usually had only one baby at a time. The young stayed with their mother for over a month after leaving the pouch. After that, they would leave to live on their own.
Rediscovery and Extinction of the Desert Rat-Kangaroo
The desert rat-kangaroo was first discovered in the early 1840s. But after these first sightings, it wasn't seen again for 90 years. Many people thought it was extinct. Even before Europeans arrived in Australia, this animal was never very common.
Then, in 1931, something amazing happened. After a period of drought ended, Hedley Finlayson found a healthy group of them. He visited them many times. But after only a few years, the population disappeared again. The last confirmed sighting was in 1935, near Lake Eyre.
The desert rat-kangaroo was very good at living in its dry, harsh home. This helped it avoid problems with new animals brought to Australia, like European rabbits or sheep. However, by the 1930s, the red fox had spread to the areas where the desert rat-kangaroo lived. The quick decline of the desert rat-kangaroo after its rediscovery in 1931 matches when red foxes moved into its habitat.
Experts believe that being hunted by red foxes and feral cats was a big reason for its extinction. Changes in weather patterns and hunting by Indigenous Australians also played a part.
There have been no reliable reports of the species since 1935. However, there were unconfirmed sightings in Queensland after heavy rains in 1956-1957 and 1974-1975. Also, some recent remains of this animal were found in caves in the mid-1980s.
The desert rat-kangaroo was officially declared extinct in 1994. It is the only mammal species to be rediscovered after being thought extinct, and then lost again.
Could the Desert Rat-Kangaroo Still Be Alive?
Because it was rediscovered after 90 years, some people wonder if the desert rat-kangaroo might still be alive. If someone saw it, it wouldn't be considered a strange, unknown animal. Other similar animals have also been thought extinct and then found again. For example, Gilbert's potoroo was thought to be extinct for 120 years before it was rediscovered in 1994.
The discovery of recent remains in the 1980s makes some people doubt its extinction. Professor Ronald Nowak wrote in his 2005 book that "perhaps a small population still survives, awaiting the time when it again may increase in response to proper conditions."
2011 Sighting at Peake Station
In May 2011, an animal was seen near Peake Station. Later, it was identified from a museum skin as possibly a desert rat-kangaroo. Researchers then explored the area in August of that year. They found an old nest and some small droppings that looked like they came from a macropod (like a kangaroo or wallaby). They also found some tracks near a waterhole that might have been made by the desert rat-kangaroo.
However, DNA tests on the droppings did not provide any usable DNA. No DNA was found from dingo or cat droppings in the area either. So, this sighting remains unconfirmed. But researchers Tony Robinson and Tiana Forrest said it was possible "that a small population of Caloprymnus... may have been present in this area in May 2011."
See also
In Spanish: Canguro rata del desierto para niños
