Greater stick-nest rat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Leporillus |
Species: | L. conditor |
Binomial name | |
Leporillus conditor (Sturt, 1848) |
The greater stick-nest rat, house-building rat (Leporillus conditor) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found only in Australia on the Franklin Islands and St Peter Island in the Nuyts Archipelago, Reevesby Island, Salutation Island, Faure Island and Heirisson Prong, and a fenced off area at Roxby Downs in South Australia. It was formerly widespread in semi-arid habitat on the mainland, where the soils were shallow with calcereous underlying strata.
It measures 32 centimetres (13 in) to 44 cm (17 in) in total length, weighing 180 grams (6 oz) to 450 g (16 oz). Its natural habitat is dry savanna, with perennial shrubland, especially of succulent and semi-succulent plant species including the chenopod and pig-face genera.