Their diet is mainly small insects, and occasionally larger prey such as spiders, grasshoppers and cockroaches, which they forage for at the ground and in clumps of spinifex.

They have long and untidy fur, grey or gingery brown with longer black hairs, small ears, a narrow muzzle, and possess a partially prehensile tail and feet that allow them to climb.

The ears do not extend far above the fur at the crown of the head, the eyes are close set and relatively small, and their face narrows at the muzzle.

The name ningaui derives from an Aboriginal word for tiny mythological beings that are hairy, have short feet and only come out at night.

[1] The Wongai ningaui lives mostly in the interior of Australia, on dunes or sandplains that have spinifex, or grasslands and occasional trees such as acacias, desert oaks and mulga, Australian Cypress Pine and arid heathland plants.

They forage for invertebrates, most of which are insects less than ten millimetres, but may pursue larger prey such as spiders, grasshoppers and cockroaches.

[6] The IUCN Red List assessed the conservation status of the species in 2015 as least concern, with a population that is unlikely to be in decline and not meeting the criteria of a greater threat of extinction.