The Southern Marsupial Mole (Notoryctes typhlops) ‘blind southern digger ‘as western desert people calls it is not a mole, it is a small, unusual, pale golden marsupial with no visible eyes or ears, a horny shield protecting its nose and stubby leathery tail and ways about 40-70g.
The claws on its front feet are enlarged and make effective spades. When digging, it moves them up and down in a chopping action, pushing the sand back with its hind feet. This amazing little creature then inches along like a caterpillar, using a pad in front of its tail to lever itself forward. Their tubular body, cone shaped head and short strong limbs enable them to "swim through the sand" about 20 cm beneath the surface.
The Southern Marsupial Mole lives in the desert rivers and sand country and sparsely distributed across the Australian deserts in dune fields and river flats.The Southern Marsupial Mole resembles the Namib Desert Golden MoleIt is classified as endangered as very few animals have been recorded in the last 50 years compared with earlier last century.
We know very little about its way of life as they have never survived in captivity for very long.They feed on Juicy beetle larvae are the Southern Marsupial Mole's favourite food, along with leaf scale insects, mulga seeds, ant eggs and the occasional gecko.The Southern Marsupial Mole lives in deep burrows up to 2 metres deep. After rain the Marsupial Mole may be spotted travelling on top of the sand. When it does this it leaves a very distinctive track: three parallel grooves in the sand, the deep centre one being made by the stubby tail.
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