Kimberley Rock Rat

Open encyclopedia reference

The Kimberley rock rat (Zyzomys woodwardi) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Australia, specifically in the northern tropical part of the Northern Territory and adjacent Kimberley region of Western Australia, in high-altitude closed forest.

Biologists have proposed that Zyzomys woodwardi speciated from Zyzomys argurus around 8,000 years ago due to a large flood that increased the wetness of the environment. In response to the wetter environment Zyzomys woodwardi had a better Darwinian fitness and out-competed Zyzomys argurus due to new selective pressures and over time the two species were separated by large vine thickets and sandstone barriers.

The species is present in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kimberley region of WA.

Wikipedia contributors, Kimberley rock rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:12:12.500738+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Zyzomys woodwardi (Thomas, 1909)

Name authority

(Thomas, 1909)

Common name

Kimberley Rock Rat

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Zyzomys

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
13. superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
14. familyMuridae Illiger, 1811
15. subfamilyMurinae Illiger, 1811
16. genusZyzomys Thomas, 1909
17. speciesZyzomys woodwardi (Thomas, 1909)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Zyzomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 672 records assigned to Muridae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585621 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:5DDTH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.