Desert Rat-kangaroo - Ecology and Behaviour

Ecology and Behaviour

Caloprymnus campestris was solitary except for young offspring with mothers. It lived in nests built over shallow depressions in the ground. These nests ware excavated or found and are crucial in the desert, where temperatures can be high, while there is relatively little brush or foliage to find cover under. The "pits" ware lined with grass, which females carried to the nest with their tails. The nest would then be covered with twigs to provide cover from the scorching sun. Oftentimes, the desert rat kangaroo was found peeking out of the top of the nest to observe its surroundings. This species would spend most of the day taking cover in the nest, and emerge at dusk to feed. Thus it was at least partially nocturnal.