Description 
 
 The Bramble Cay melomys was one of the mosaic-tailed rats (distinguished by the mosaic pattern of scales on its tail rather than the concentric rows of scales running along the length of the tail found in most other types of rats and mice). Extensive searches for the Bramble Cay melomys, a small rat-like animal, have failed to find a single specimen from its only known habitat on a sandy island in far northern Australia Climate change appears to have driven to extinction an Australian Great Barrier Reef rodent, according to a new study, which suggests the species may be the first mammal lost to the global phenomenon. "Australia officially has the worst rate of mammal extinction in the world," said spokesperson Darren Grover. When a 2014 study found no sign of the species, researchers decided to conduct the most extensive survey possible in the hope of conserving the species. Extensive searches for the Bramble Cay melomys, a small rat-like animal, have failed to find a single specimen from its only known habitat on a sandy island in far northern Australia. "Consequently, the conclusion here that the extirpation of the Bramble Cay melomys from Bramble Cay occurred because of rising sea levels and an increased incidence of extreme weather events over preceding years is significant in that it probably represents the first documented mammalian extinction due solely (or primarily) to anthropogenic climate change," it said. "Consequently, at this stage, it may be premature to declare the Bramble Cay melomys extinct on a global scale," it added. A 2012 University of Queensland study highlighted the impact of climate change on habitat destruction across the world, finding that “serious declines are already a reality for many species.” Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now 
 
 A study led by Ian Gynther from Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, and in partnership with the University of Queensland, laid 150 traps on the island for six nights. The Melomys rubicola, considered the Great Barrier Reef's only endemic (found nowhere else) mammal species, was first discovered on the cay in 1845 by Europeans who shot the "large rats" for sport. The area of the island above high tide fell from 4 hectares in 1998 to 2.5 hectares in 2014, the study found.
– Way to go, humanity. For the first time in history, human-induced climate change has been found "solely or primarily" responsible for the extinction of a mammal species, according to a new study. The Bramble Cay melomys, or mosaic-tailed rat, was found by Europeans on a tiny coral cay off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in 1845 and became known as the only mammal species endemic to the Great Barrier Reef, reports the Guardian. But though there were hundreds still in existence on Bramble Cay in 1978, the last were spotted by a fisherman in 2009, reports AFP. Researchers from the University of Queensland and the Queensland government—who traveled to Bramble Cay in 2014 and laid 150 traps for six nights to no avail—say "the only known population of this rodent is now extinct." Researchers found the cay, which sits about 10 feet above sea level, had flooded several times, wiping out the animals and their habitat. Just 2.5 hectares of land remained above high tide, reports Newsweek. "Significantly, this probably represents the first recorded mammalian extinction due to anthropogenic climate change," the researchers say—though they hope the animals reached the island on debris from Papua New Guinea and still survive there. Researchers say extreme weather was a factor in the extinction of the Little Swan Island hutia, a rodent once found on an atoll off Honduras, but cats were also to blame. "If this is one of the first" extinctions solely linked to humans, "it is more than likely not going to be the last," says an ecologist. "Species restricted to small, low lying islands, or those with very tight environmental requirements are likely to be the first to go." (Five islands have already vanished.)