The Carpentarian rock rat (''Zyzomys palatalis'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae come ...

. It is found only in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Taxonomy

The description of the species was published by

Darrell Kitchener Darrell John Kitchener (born 1943) is a biologist who has been active in mammalian research in Western Australia and Indonesia. He is the author of over one hundred papers, published while employed as the senior research biologist at the Western ...

in 1989, emerging from a revision of the genus ''

Zyzomys ''Zyzomys'' is a genus of rodents with unusually thick, long tails. Five species of the genus are known in Australia, where they are called rock rats or thick-tailed rats. The genus was classified by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas in 1909. Tax ...

''. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

was a pregnant female, collected at Wollogorang Station, in a deep ravine called Echo Gorge. The sandstone environment of the type location was an association of plants that included '' Eucalyptus dichromophloia''. The specific epithet ''palatis'' is derived from Latin, and refers to the characteristic morphology of their palate.

Description

It is a small and compact conilurine rodent. Its fur is grey-brown above and pale below. The tail is used to store fat at its base, making it carrot-shaped; the skin of the tail is fragile and easily damaged by handling. The average weight of individuals is about 120 g.

Distribution and habitat

It has a very limited range, being currently known from only five localities within the Wollogorang Station pastoral lease of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, close to the border with

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, near the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

. Crucial habitat characteristics are rugged

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

gorges with a cover of dry monsoon vine-thicket or tropical woodland, and with access to permanent water.

Conservation

The estimated size of the wild population of this species is less than 2000. The main threat is from hot, late dry-season, fires. It is classified as being Critically Endangered. It is subject to conservation management, including a captive breeding program at the

Territory Wildlife Park The Territory Wildlife Park is a zoo at Berry Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, some (about a 45 minutes drive) south of Darwin. It opened in 1989. Situated on 400 ha of natural bushland, it contains native animals and plants ...

.
Revised Recovery Plan for the Carpentarian Rock-Rat, ''Zyzomys palatalis'' (January 2003)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1767028 Zyzomys Mammals described in 1989 Taxa named by Darrell Kitchener Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Rodents of Australia