Extinction of Australian rodent blamed on climate

The extinction of a tiny brown rodent in Australia is being blamed on climate change and described as a "national tragedy" by environmentalists and scientists who say it could have been avoided.

The Melomys rubicola, or Bramble Cay melomys mosaic-tailed rat, inhabited the small, barren island of Bramble Cay in northeastern Torres Strait near Papua New Guinea.

Professor John Woinarski of Charles Darwin University, an expert on the tiny mammal, said early intervention by the government could have prevented the extinction. He said an effort could have been made years ago as sea levels began to rise due to climate change. Because the island was low lying, it was slowly being eroded by high tides and storm surges, giving this small creature little chance of survival.