White-tipped Stick Nest Rat What is a White-tipped stick nest rat?

The white-tipped stick nest rat or lesser stick nest rat lived in the arid and semi-arid lands of central Australia. It got its name because of the narrow brush of white hairs at the tip of its tail and the unusual nest it built.

It was a moderately-sized nocturnal, herbivorous marsupial rodent weighing roughly 60g.

It built its nest of sticks and added to over the years, making a massive mound up to 1 meter high and 3 meters long. It built these nests sometimes in the open, but often in caves and under rock overhangs.

Animals introduced by European settlers may have caused its extinction. These included the feral cat and fox that preyed on it and cattle, sheep, and rabbits, which outcompeted it for food.

This white-tipped stick nest rat was last sighted in 1933. In 2016 it was declared as extinct.

Introduced Australian Animals — Animals Brought by European Settlers