You might be surprised to see the northern marsupial mole. Known as Kakaratul among the indigenous people of Australia's Western Desert, it has no eyes and a shaggy, golden fur. At only 4 inches from snout to tail, this animal can fit in the palm of your hand. And unlike the North American mole species, it is a marsupial.
But you'll probably never see it. Although the animals are abundant, sightings of the northern marsupial mole are rare because they live in tunnels beneath the dunes and use their flipper-like front feet to move in a swimming motion. Still very rare.
“This is the most difficult animal to find of all animals,” says Denzel Hunter, an indigenous ranger who studies and protects wildlife on Nyangumaruta lands. “Every time I go looking for northern marsupial moles, I find evidence that they're out there. But I've never seen them.”
Earlier this month, rangers from Kanilnyinpa Tjukurpa Martu discovered Kakaratul in the Great Sandy Desert, about 1,000 miles north-east of Perth. Their photos of the creature, which has only been seen a few times in the past decade, expand scientific knowledge not only about the species but also about the wider desert region, which covers nearly a third of Australia's landmass. .
The findings also highlight the value of Australia's 60 desert ranger groups, which oversee much of Australia's national protected area system.
Gareth Catt, who has worked extensively with rangers as program manager for the Indigenous Desert Alliance, said: “It's only when you start digging into the details of a country with people who know it best that you really understand a place.” Ta. program. “It is Indigenous rangers who have lasting connections and are best placed to understand and care for the country.”
Much of what we currently know about the northern marsupial mole comes from rangers.
Nyanmalta ranger Lynette Wildridge described the species as “beautiful and fluffy.” But she had only seen the animal once in her 10 years of work.
“Marsupial moles live in the sand near the tops of dunes,” she says. “They like it there because the sand underneath is moist and keeps them cool even when the surface is hot. Daytime temperatures in the summer can reach nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets cold, it gets warm.”
Moles, which are blind but have a strong sense of smell, are “very afraid of predators like dingoes and birds of prey,” she added. “That's why they live underground.”
“That's what makes them such great Australian animals,” Mr Catt said of the northern marsupial mole. “It's the combination of their unusual appearance, unusual lifestyle, and low profile. They really capture the imagination.”
The success of the ranger program and the potential for finding more marsupial moles depends on a multigenerational approach.
“When I was a child, my grandparents took me to the countryside and taught me about plants and animals. They knew this country very well and taught us everything.” , said Wildridge, who introduces young schoolchildren to ranger work. “Now it's our turn to tell you.”
Every time a boreal marsupial mole is found, the task becomes easier. After the latest discovery, Kanilninpa Tjukurpa Martu Rangers Executive Director Zan King spoke of the excitement the discovery had caused among rangers.
“They are all eager to go home and tell their families and show their pictures to their young children, because there are a lot of junior rangers who are looking forward to becoming rangers when they grow up. '' she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. .
Discoveries like this motivate rangers like Wildridge to keep searching.
“We have to keep digging,” she said.