Australia’s most attractive rodent has been spotted more than 100km from its usual stomping ground, in the deserts and sand dunes of far northwestern NSW.
The vulnerable Dusky Hopping Mouse made the lengthy leap south to a wildlife sanctuary in the Murray-Darling Basin, a significant territorial expansion for the diminutive species.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy Sanctuary manager Daniel Burton was first to notice the desert-dwelling rodent when it dashed past him during a routine feral predator control at Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary.
“It sprinted right in front of me and I hopped out of the car for a closer look,” he said.
“The mouse was twice the size of a house mouse with larger ears, wider eyes and a longer, black and bushy tail - and it wasn’t running, it was hopping.”
The conservationist set up cameras in the area in the bid to uncover the identity of the mystery mammal.
Eventually one of the critters, a male nicknamed Patches, was caught and tissue samples were sent for genetic testing.
Ecologist Trevor Bauer said the team had a good idea of what the species was but also had fur clippings analysed to be sure.
“We took measurements of his head, tail, body, ears, feet and pads ... he had a prominent throat pouch with fur pointing towards the centre," Mr Bauer said.
Results confirmed the Dusky Hopping Mouse as a new species for the area, over 100km south of its last confirmed location around Broken Hill.
The mouse’s significant range expansion is believed due to more favourable conditions following consistent rainfall over the past three years.
Described in wildlife textbooks as "an attractive rodent with long, rounded, furless ears and prominent dark eyes" it has become unofficially known as Australia's most attractive rodent.
Weighing in at up to just 50g and distinguished from other mice by a well-developed throat pouch, the species is considered vulnerable nationwide, endangered in NSW and Queensland and presumed extinct in the Northern Territory.
