Mitchell's hopping mouse
Mitchell's hopping mouse | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Notomys |
Species: | N. mitchellii
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Binomial name | |
Notomys mitchellii (Ogilby, 1838)
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Mitchell's hopping mouse (Notomys mitchellii) also known as the pankot, is the largest extant member of the genus
Individuals are a sandy grey colour, with white chest hairs and a paler underbelly. The tail of the species is long and has the characteristic hopping mouse brush at the tip. This tail morphology is thought to aid balance when travelling at speed. Being
N. mitchellii is known to have a lifespan of up to five years in the laboratory and this is thought to be a strategy evolved to combat the breeding-constraints of lengthy periods of drought. It has also been found that this species is less able to cope with water deprivation than other species of the genus. Notomys mitchellii produces concentrated urine to conserve water, but in a different way to more arid-dwelling rodents. The diet of N. mitchellii is also thought to consist of more roots and green matter than that of other species of the genus: animals captured in drought conditions had stomach contents consisting of some 85% roots, 11% green leaf and 4% seed.
As a pet
A 2010 report by the Australian Government
Victorian Wildlife Regulations 2013 - Schedule 4B Species are commonly kept by large numbers of the general public. Husbandry techniques are simple and well established. A license is required to obtain and, sell these species for commercial purposes as a safe guard against take from the wild. A license is not required for private purposes.
References
- .
- ISBN 978-1-74254-043-6.
- ^ Marsupial Society (2013). "Wildlife Regulations 2013: Summary and Guide to the Regulatory Impact Statement" (PDF). Retrieved 8 January 2014.
Further reading
- Watts, C.H.S.; Aslin, H.J. (1981). The Rodents of Australia. London: Angus & Robertson.
- Baverstock, P.R. (1979). "A Three Year Study of the Mammals and Lizards of Billiatt Conservation Park in the Murray Mallee, South Australia". South Australian Naturalist (53): 52–58.
- Strahan, Ronald, ed. (1998). The Mammals of Australia. National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney, NSW: Reed New Holland.