Overview
Distribution
Range Description
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Geographic Range
Only found in coastal south-eastern Australia. Wilson's Promontory, Providence Ponds, near Loch Sport, and Angelsea.
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Australia
Trusted
Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Easily confused with the house mouse. However, New Holland mice are slightly larger and heavier. Their fur is a dark grey color. The tail is 10-15% longer than the rest of the body with a dusky-grey color on top and white on the bottom. Feet are also white. New Holland mice have fairly large eyes.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Habitat
Lives in areas with soft, deep soil for burrowing. Mostly heathlands, sand dunes, open forest, and woodlands. Areas must contain a fair amount of vegetation to support their food needs.
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Diet consists mostly of plant seeds from various species(particularly legumes). However, New Holland mice also eat leaves and flowers, fungi, and some invertebrates.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Reproduction
Reproduction
Most young are born between August and January, but sometimes breeding extends into Autumn. This breeding pattern is related to food abundance which fluctuates with rainfall patterns. Females in their first year of reproduction can produce one litter per season. Second year females can produce up to three or four litters. Litter size is generally one to six young, the average being 4.6 young. Births take place during the day in the mother's nest. The lactation period is three to four weeks. It takes thirteen weeks for females to reach sexual maturity, while it takes males twenty weeks. Females may mature earlier if population density is low.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Conservation Status
Listed as a threatened species in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. Under threat initially due to habitat loss and alteration caused by clearing. More recently, inappropriate prescribed fire frequencies have created unsuitable habitat for New Holland mice. Introduced predators such as red fox, domestic cat, and domestic dog are important causes of mortality. Conservation efforts are being made by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Australia, Deakin University, and the Melbourne Zoo. Efforts include formation of a state-wide recovery team, habitat evaluation and protection, genetic research, and surveying/monitoring of populations.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 12/02/1970
Lead Region: Foreign (Region 10)
Where Listed:
Population detail:
Population location: entire
Listing status: E
For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Pseudomys novaehollandiae , see its USFWS Species Profile
Trusted
Trends
Population
Population Trend
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Threats
Threats
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Management
Conservation Actions
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Wikipedia
New Holland Mouse
The New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was first described by George Waterhouse in 1843. It vanished from view for over a century before its rediscovery in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park north of Sydney in 1967. It is found only in Australia, within the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
Contents |
Victorian Populations
The first living animals were recorded in the state of Victoria in 1970 on the Mornington Peninsula.[1] The New Holland Mouse has since been discovered in Victoria at a number of near coastal locations, mostly to the east of Melbourne, including Cranbourne, Langwarrin, Yanakie Isthmus, the south-western end of the Ninety Mile Beach and a number of sites near Loch Sport, Mullundung State Forest and Providence Ponds. A number of these populations are now thought to be extinct.[1]
One known population occurs to the west of Melbourne, in the eastern Otway Ranges near Anglesea. The Anglesea population, discovered in 1980, comprises a number of sub-populations which were intensively studied by Deakin University researchers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the Anglesea sub-populations went extinct after the 1983 Ash Wednesday wildfires.[2] Others have persisted until at least the mid-1990s.[3] The current status of the Angelsea sub-populations is uncertain, but they may be now locally extinct.
Conservation status
The New Holland Mouse is listed as a threatened (vulnerable) species on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[1]
It is listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. An Action Statement has also been prepared for the New Holland Mouse under this Act.[4]
It is listed as endangered in Victoria on the Department of Sustainability and Environment 2003 Advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna.[5]
References
- ^ a b Menkhorst, P. (1995). Mammals of Victoria. Distribution, Ecology and Conservation.. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Wilson, B. A. (1994). "The distribution of the New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Waterhouse 1843) in the Eastern Otways, Victoria". The Victorian Naturalist 112 (2): 46–53.
- ^ Lock, M. L. and Wilson, B. A. (1996). "The distribution of the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) with respect to vegetation near Anglesea, Victoria". Wildlife Research 26 (4): 565–577. doi:10.1071/WR97050.
- ^ Seebeck, J. A., Menkhorst, P. W., Wilson, B. A. and Lowe, K.W. (1996). New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Action Statement #74.. East Melbourne, Victoria: State of Victoria.
- ^ Department of Sustainability and Environment (2003). Advisory list of the threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria – 2003. Melbourne: State of Victoria.
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
Disclaimer
EOL content is automatically assembled from many different content providers. As a result, from time to time you may find pages on EOL that are confusing.
To request an improvement, please leave a comment on the page. Thank you!
