It is unclear whether the Desert Rat Kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris) is extinct or not. According to some (wikipedia), the Desert Rat Kangaroo, or Plains Rat Kangaroo, is now extinct. It lived in the hot and dry desert of Central Australia. According to others (Animal diversity web) there is reason to believe that Desert Rat Kangaroos may stil exist: "Although not spotted since 1935 (when it was seen in the Lake Eyre region of northern Southern Australia), apparently recent remains of C. campestris have been found in caves of southeastern Western Australia (Lavery, 1985)." According to the IUCN Red list "There have been no reliable records of this species since 1935." and under 'threats': "Hunting, direct habitat alteration by man, and introduced predators have all contributed to the extinction of this species. " Whether they are extinct or not, they live (or lived) in nests in the ground, which is the only way to hide from the sun in the desert, since brush or foliage are scarce. Desert Rat Kangaroos are solitary, except for a mother and her young. They can travel at great speeds and feed in the night on foliage and stems of vegetation. Reasons for their decline and possible extinction are the introduction of invasive species like the rabbit, fox and cat in Australia.
The Buff-nosed rat-kangaroo, desert rat kangaroo, plains rat-kangaroo is listed as Extinct (EX), there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Namings for the desert rat kangaroo
A young / baby of a desert rat kangaroo is called a 'joey'. The females are called 'flyer or doe' and males 'boomer or buck'. A desert rat kangaroo group is called a 'mob, troop or court'.Countries
Australia
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