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SPECIES PROFILE

Southern Marsupial Mole (Notoryctes typhlops)

Notoryctes

IUCN STATUS

Endangered

Southern Marsupial Mole (Notoryctes typhlops) — Central and western desert regions of Australia (e.g., Great Sandy Desert)

CONSERVATION STATUS

Endangered

CLASS

Mammalia

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

Central and western desert regions of Australia (e.g., Great Sandy Desert)

DIET

Carnivorous/Insectivorous

HABITAT

Sandy deserts and dunes

🔬 Classification

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Mammalia

ORDER

Notoryctemorphia

FAMILY

Notoryctidae

GENUS

Notoryctes

📋 Description

SIZE

9-18 cm long, plus a short 2-3 cm tail; weighs 40-70 grams

COLORATION

Silky golden or cream fur, no visible eyes or ears

ADAPTATIONS

Fused neck vertebrae, spade-like claws for digging, streamlined body for burrowing

🌿 Ecology

HABITAT

Sandy deserts and dunes

DIET

Carnivorous/Insectivorous

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Central and western desert regions of Australia (e.g., Great Sandy Desert)

REPRODUCTION

Little known; thought to give birth to 1-2 joeys, with pouch development underground

DIET DETAILS

Feeds on underground insects, larvae, and small reptiles

⚠️ Threats & Conservation

PRIMARY THREATS

Habitat disturbance, predation by foxes and cats, and lack of data on population

💡 Interesting Facts

1

Sand Swimmers: Southern marsupial moles ‘swim’ through Uluru’s sands, their eyeless 70-gram bodies hunting larvae via touch, leaving no tunnels. With fewer than 1,000 estimated, their subterranean life in Great Sandy Desert shields them from predators but not mining impacts.

2

Elusive Breeders: Likely birthing one joey in a pouch, their reproductive habits remain a mystery in Simpson Desert, known only through Indigenous tracking. Their digging, turning 50 kg of soil monthly, aerates deserts, but habitat disruption threatens their fragile existence.

🔭 Sighting Guide

📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Northern Territory has sandy deserts around Uluru and Kata Tjuta for mole sightings

Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia near Telfer and Canning Stock Route is ideal for mole sightings

Simpson Desert Conservation Park in South Australia near Oodnadatta has desert edges for mole sightings

🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT

April-September. Cooler months make moles more active in deserts for burrowing.

🎯 SIGHTING TIPS

Join guided tours to spot mole tracks in sandy dunes.