As the sanctuary manager for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), Daniel Burton regularly surveys the area around Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary, primarily focusing on predator control. During one of these routine patrols, Burton was startled by an unusual sight: a strange mouse darting across the dirt path.
“It sprinted right in front of me, and I jumped out of the car for a closer look,” Burton explained in a press release. “The mouse was twice the size of a house mouse with larger ears, wider eyes, and a longer, black and bushy tail — and it wasn’t running, it was hopping.”
Intrigued by the unusual creature, Burton set up camera traps in the area. Within a few months, the cameras captured thousands of images of these unique animals, which would later be identified as extremely rare.
Meanwhile, ecologist Trevor Bauer and a team of scientists managed to safely trap one of these rare mice, nicknaming him Patches. “We took measurements of his head, tail, body, ears, feet, and pads,” Bauer noted in the press release. “He had a prominent throat pouch with fur pointing towards the center. We had a good idea of the species, but took fur clippings and tissue samples for genetic testing to be certain.”
Patches’ samples were sent to the Australian Museum for analysis. After a year-long wait, ecologists finally confirmed their suspicions: the animals were Dusky Hopping Mice, a new species at the Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary.
This discovery was significant for several reasons. “The Dusky Hopping Mouse was presumed extinct in New South Wales until 2003,” AWC stated in the press release. “Since then, sightings have been reported near Broken Hill, which was considered the southernmost location for the species in New South Wales until Burton’s encounter.”
Scientists are thrilled to have gathered more information about this fascinating animal. And as for the mice? They remain unphased, likely too busy enjoying the simple pleasures of life in the wild.
