Brush-tailed Rabbit-rat
Conilurus penicillatus
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 15/07/2016
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 18/07/2015
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: Brush-tailed Tree-rat, Pakooma
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Brush-tailed Rabbit-rat is a moderately large arboreal rat with a long brush-tipped tail and long ears. They prefer tall eucalypt forests away from wet areas in sites that have not been exposed to recent severe fires. They shelter during the day in tree hollow and hollow logs with their diet consisting mainly of grass seeds.
Threats
The threats facing this species are high frequency of extensive and intense fires, habitat loss and predation by feral cats.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
49
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.