| Little native mouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Pseudomys |
| Species: | P. delicatulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudomys delicatulus (Gould, 1842) | |
The little native mouse (Pseudomys delicatulus), also known as the delicate mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. The Kunwinjku people of western Arnhem Land call this little creature kijbuk.[2]
It is found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Papua New Guinea.
Description and behaviour
The little native mouse has fur that is yellow-brown to grey-brown above and white underneath.[3] It is the smallest of all Australian native mice with a head and body length of 55–75 mm with adults of both sexes being roughly the same in size, weight (6–15 g) and colour.[4] In Arnhem Land, the only place the species has been studied at length, breeding takes place in July and August. Two to four young are born in a grass-lined nesting chamber after a gestation of 28–31 days. At birth the eyes are shut and the ears tightly folded back, they develop quickly and are independent of the mother around four weeks of age.[5]
Habitat
The species is found in sandy, well drained, sparsely covered savanna.[1] The animal lives in hollow logs, under pieces of bark, or in burrows, the design of which varies with local conditions: in hard granite sand ridges the burrow is shallow, intricately constructed retreats with many false passages and one main nesting chamber; in sandy conditions the burrows are deep simple structures around two metres long and with only one main chamber. It occasionally excavates burrows in termite mounds.[3]
Diet
Grass seeds from native grasses comprise most of their diet.
References
- 1 2 Dickman, C.; Aplin, K.; Burbidge, A. & Pennay, M. (2008). "Pseudomys delicatulus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ↑ Reverend Peterson Nganjmirra, personal comment in Goodfellow, Fauna of Kakadu and the Top End, 1993)
- 1 2 "Delicate Mouse - profile". New South Wales Threatened Species]. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change. 2005-01-09. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ↑ Horner, B.E. (1986). Australian Mammals. Australia. p. 201.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ Taylor, J.M. (1970). Observations on reproduction in Leggadina. p. 51.
- Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1455–1456. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.