White-footed rabbit rat

Conilurus albipes

Blamed on cats

IUCN status: Extinct

Last seen: Conilurus albipes were last seen in 1861 (1860-1862) in Victoria (IUCN 2023)

IUCN claim: “The primary cause of decline was probably predation by feral cats”

Studies in support

White-footed rabbit rats were last confirmed in Victoria 0-32 years after cats arrived (Wallach and Lundgren 2025).

Studies not in support

White-footed rabbit rats were last confirmed in the Western Division of NSW 34 years before, to 16 years after, cats arrived (Wallach and Lundgren 2025).

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

In two regions it cannot be verified that extirpation occurred after cat arrival.

Evidence linking Conilurus albipes to cats. Last records of extirpated populations relative to earliest local records of cats. Error bars show record uncertainty range. Predator arrival records were digitized from Abbott 2008.

References

Abbott, The spread of the cat, Felis catus, in Australia: re-examination of the current conceptual model with additional information. Conservation Science Western Australia 7 (2008).

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023

Wallach A.D., Lundgren E.J. (2025) Review of evidence that foxes and cats cause extinctions of Australia’s endemic mammals. BioScience. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf046