Notomys alexis
Silhouette: Rachel T Mason · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The spinifex hopping mouse (Notomys alexis), also known as the tarkawara or tarrkawarra, occurs throughout the central and western Australian arid zones, occupying both spinifex-covered sand flats and stabilised sand dunes, and loamy mulga and melaleuca flats.
The population fluctuates greatly: in normal years it is sparsely distributed and probably confined to sandy country; after rain the population explodes and spreads to other types of habitat for a time. They are mostly seen at night, bounding across open ground on their large hind feet, with tails extended and the body almost horizontal.
As semi-fossorial, burrowing surface foragers, the tiny hopping mice spend a great deal of energy not just foraging for food, but also transporting it back to their burrows. In fact, it was found that the total energy spent on transporting food in relation to energy investment on burrows far outweighed any other similar type of species.
The appearance is very similar to the northern hopping mouse: slightly larger than a common house mouse at 95 to 115 mm (3.7 to 4.5 in) head-body length and an average weight of 35 g (1.2 oz). As with all hopping mice, the hind legs are greatly... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Werribee Open Range Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Cleland Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Perth Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Sydney Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Adelaide Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Koala Park Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Sea Life Sydney Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Wild Life Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | African Safari World | 🇦🇺 Australia |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ningaloo Marine Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spinifex Hopping Mouse sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 8 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Spinifex Hopping Mouse in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May, September and December–January, the lowest months. That is one of Ningaloo Marine Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 50 mm in June.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spinifex Hopping Mouse sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Spinifex Hopping Mouse sightings, Ningaloo Marine Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spinifex Hopping Mouse is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ningaloo Marine Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
