What rodent from a small Australian island was the first mammal extinct due to climate change?

The Bramble Cay melomys was the Australian island rodent identified as the first mammal extinction caused by human-driven climate change.

Also called the Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat, Melomys rubicola was found only on Bramble Cay, a tiny, low-lying coral island at the northern end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Its entire habitat covered roughly five acres, leaving the species extremely vulnerable to environmental change.

The animal was last recorded in 2009, and researchers later concluded that it likely disappeared between 2009 and 2011. Rising seas, storm surges, and repeated flooding reduced vegetation and washed away the shelters the melomys used. The species was formally listed as extinct by the IUCN in 2015 and recognized by Australia in 2019.

The wording “first mammal extinct due to climate change” refers specifically to anthropogenic climate change. Habitat loss and extreme weather were the immediate pressures, while illegal hunting and other human impacts may also have contributed.