Fun Big-eared Hopping Mouse Facts For Kids

The big-eared hopping mouse is an extinct species from order Rodentia from Western Australia. Its last record was collected from the Moore river. It is found near the habitat like sand dunes.

With its big ears and tail, the big-eared hopping mouse looked like a little kangaroo. Along with its large ears, it had a brush-tipped tail and large eyes. A total of six species of its race has gone extinct.

Even the IUCN Red List marked it as Extinct. There are several factors contributing to the decline of habitats, cats like feral cats eating their plants, exotic diseases, habitat fragmentation, and livestock.

While it traveled slowly on her four legs, she was able to travel quickly on her padded and enlarged hind feet. They are feral herbivores in nature. Its last record was collected from the Moore river.

If you enjoy reading about the big-eared hopping mouse, do check out interesting facts about the greater mouse-eared bat and the white-footed mouse.

Big-Eared Hopping Mouse Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a big-eared hopping mouse?

The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) is a species of hopping mouse from the Muridae family.

What class of animal does the big-eared hopping mouse belong to?

The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) is a rodent species of Notomys genus and order Rodentia. Notomys is divided into two subgenera.

The big-eared hopping mouse, Notomys macrotis, is related to the short-tailed hopping mouse, Notomys amplus, and the great hopping mouse, Notomys sp. Both species are extinct.

As a result of their similar sizes, they are grouped together. In addition to this, it is also closely related to the fawn hopping mouse, Notomys cervinus, and the long-tailed hopping mouse, Notomys longicaudatus, due to the fact that they all lack the derived reproductive tract of the spinifex hopping mouse (Notomys alexis) clade.

Its closest phylogenetic relative is probably Notomys cervinus. The spinifex hopping mice keeps themselves warm by huddling together during the day.

How many big-eared hopping mouse are there in the world?

A total of six species of hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) has gone extinct. It involves the big-eared hopping mouse as well. Due to their extinction, there is hardly any information about them. It has not been found in extensive fossil collections, indicating it was confined to Western Australia. Rainfall is essential to the survival of populations.

Where does the big-eared hopping mouse live?

The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) lived in the Moore River area of South-Western Australia. Since July 1843, large-eared hopping mice were last collected near Moore River, Western Australia, near the site of what is now New Norcia, and have not been seen since.

What is a big-eared hopping mouse's habitat?

The big-eared hopping mouse habitat is sand dunes of Western Australia.  Overnight, they search for seeds and also take green shoots, foraging hundreds of meters away.

Who does the big-eared hopping mouse live with?

They live in small family groups of two to four individuals in the order Rodentia and genus Notomys.

How long does a big-eared hopping mouse live?

The lifespan of mice in captivity can reach three years, but they probably live much less than that in the wild. Some may not make it past a year.

How do they reproduce?

Hopping mice usually live in a small family group that huddles in burrows during the colder months. Breeding takes place all year round, but primarily in spring.

Litters generally consist of three to four newborns that stay within the burrow while their mothers search for food. During the second and a half months of their lives, young mice are sexually mature.

What is their conservation status?

The Western-Australian big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) is listed as the Extinct under the IUCN Red List of endangered species. There is a local threat to the big-eared hopping mouse in the form of feral cats, which prey on the mouse.

According to rainfall and food availability, hopping mouse population numbers change. The extinction rate of this species was moderate to severe due to habitat degradation, loss, and fragmentation. As a result of the destruction of their burrows, resources, and food supply, this species has ceased to exist.

Gradually, they become extinct. The last record of them was collected from Western Australia near the Moore river.

Big-Eared Hopping Mouse Fun Facts

What does the big-eared hopping mouse look like?

The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) looked like a little kangaroo with its big ears and tail. A brush-tipped tail and large eyes accompanied its large ears. When traveling slowly, it used its four legs, while when traveling rapidly, it bound upon its hidind feet that were padded and enlarged. It is a feral herbivore in nature.

How cute are they?

Yes, these rodents are cute. Their tiny build, brush-tipped tail, and small four legs make it resemble a little kangaroo.

How do they communicate?

Communication happens in a variety of ways across the body as well as through the mouth, nose, ear, and eyes. Humans cannot hear most of their vocal communication, though some squeaks can be heard in the lower vocal range.

How big is the big-eared hopping mouse?

The big-eared hopping mouse size is 10.6 in (27 cm).

How fast can a big-eared hopping mouse move?

The observed speed of the rodents is 0.2 mph (0.3 kph). When alarmed, mice jump upwards of 13 ft (4 m) using their disproportionately long hind legs, running on four legs or bouncing in a series of short hops.

How much does a big-eared hopping mouse weigh?

The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) weighs almost 0.1 lb (35 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name for the separate sexes of this mouse. They are simply called female big-eared hopping mice and the male big-eared hopping mouse.

What would you call a baby big-eared hopping mouse?

A baby big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) is called a pup.

What do they eat?

The diet of big-eared hopping mice (Notomys macrotis) includes plants, seeds, berries, and fungi. They are feral herbivores. Leaf and other organic materials were used to build nests.

Are they dangerous?

There are a number of health risks associated with Australian mammals like rodents, such as rats and mice. More than 35 diseases can be transmitted by rats and mice. Indirect contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, as well as by rodent bites, these diseases can be transmitted directly to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they would make a good pet. Despite the environmental aridity of Western Australian wildlife, hopping mice do remarkably well. These animals live in deep, humid burrows during the day and are nocturnal.

Did you know...

In comparison with other continents, mammals on the Australian continent have lower resting metabolic rates. Furthermore, studies show that small animals, such as the big-eared hopping mice, need a high resting metabolic rate to achieve the large metabolic scope required to regulate body temperature.

Thus, animals with long lifespans and higher fertility have a high resting metabolic rate.

It is possible that factors such as living in an area with a low resting metabolic rate and needing a high metabolic rate in connection with its size might have contributed to its extinction.

Adaptations in the morphology or physiology of the big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) were especially evident with its lifestyle. There was a niche for this species of mouse, which was an extinction-promoting characteristic since species that were both rare and specialized had a tendency to end up extinct.

How do you take care of a hopping mouse?

It is important to provide proper feeding care. Ten minutes a day must be spent feeding them. Maintenance must be done twice a week for about 1/2 an hour. It is imperative that they are provided with a small cage that is sized appropriately for their size with extra room to move around.

Is the big-eared hopping mouse extinct?

Big-eared hopping mammals (Notomys macrotis) have been extinct for many reasons. There are numerous factors contributing to the depletion of habitat, including feral cats preying on them, exotic diseases, habitat fragmentation, livestock, and feral animals eating their plants.

There is a difference of opinions regarding the extent to which each of these factors contributed to the Australian big-eared hopping mouse's extinction. In the end, exotic diseases accounted for a significant portion of the extinction of the big-eared hopping mouse.

An outbreak of an epizootic disease had a devastating effect on the mammals of Western Australia, including Notomys macrotis. The big-eared hopping mouse (Notomys macrotis) became extinct due to this disease and drought conditions, combined with cats.

The extinction rate of this species was moderate to severe due to habitat degradation, loss, and fragmentation in the Australian wildlife.

In the 1800s, sheepherders and land developers cleared vast stretches of sand dunes, where the big-eared hopping mouse lived. The soil, grass, biological nutrients, leaves, and organic materials that the mice lived in were all impacted by these factors.

This species is no longer extant due to the destruction of its burrows, resources, and food supply. Due this, a conservation act was also started.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these dormouse and wood mouse.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable cartoon big-eared hopping mouse coloring pages.

Main image by Paul Barden.

Second image by fitchimages.

*Please note that the main image of a Northern hopping mouse, one of the similar species of hopping mouse. If you have an image of a big-eared hopping mouse, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.