Bramble Cay Melomys
Melomys rubicola
Conservation Status
ExtinctMammalia · Rodentia · Muridae
About
The Bramble Cay melomys, or Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat, is a recently extinct species of rodent in the family Muridae and subfamily Murinae. It was an endemic species of the isolated Bramble Cay, a low-lying vegetated coral cay with a habitable area of approximately 5 acres (2.0 ha) located at the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Described by researchers as having last been seen in 2009 and declared extinct by the Queensland Government and University of Queensland researchers in 2016, it was formally declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in May 2015 and the Australian government in February 2019. Having been the only mammal endemic to the reef, its extinction was described as the first extinction of a mammal species due to anthropogenic climate change.
Fun Fact
The primary factor in the extinction was assessed as loss of habit due to erosion of the cay, which by 2014 had reached its smallest recorded size.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Occurs in the Fly River delta area of southern New Guinea and so, until this area is adequately surveyed, it may be premature to formally declare the species extinct".
Diet
To be updated
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Destruction
- Overexploitation