Western chestnut mouse

Western chestnut mouse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Pseudomys
Species:
P. nanus
Binomial name
Pseudomys nanus
(Gould, 1858)

The western chestnut mouse (Pseudomys nanus) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to northern Australia and various close islands, with the vast majority found in Queensland and the Northern Territory.[1][2]

Ecology

P. nanus inhabits grasslands and open stands of eucalypt on sandy soil.[1] It is mainly nocturnal and spends the day in a grass nest. Its diet is mostly made up of native grasses and seeds. Breeding occurs most often during the wet season, but the species may breed throughout the year under favourable conditions.[3] Females give birth to between three and five young, after a gestation period of 22–24 days. Fully grown adult mice weigh around 70 g and have an average body length of 10 cm.[4]

Studies in 1999 showed that the species has an excellent capacity for repleting glycogen following exertion, even if they do not eat.[5]

Threats

Populations of western chestnut mouse in the Northern Territory have declined substantially since European colonisation of Australia, with one study identifying a 24% reduction in the extent of occurrence and a 25% reduction in the breadth of occupied environmental space.[6] A significant contraction towards areas of higher rainfall and higher vegetation cover was observed, which are likely refuge habitats that help to buffer the impacts of feral cat predation.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Burbidge, A.; Morris, K. & Woinarski, J. (2008). "Pseudomys nanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Western Chestnut Mouse occurrence map".
  3. ^ "A guide to the mammals of Barrow Island" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Pseudomys nanus". The Encyclopedia of Life.
  5. ^ Bräu, L.; Nikolovski, S.; Palmer, T. N.; Fournier, P. A. (1999). "Glycogen repletion following burst activity: A carbohydrate-sparing mechanism in animals adapted to arid environments?". Journal of Experimental Zoology. 284 (3): 271–275. doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19990801)284:3<271::aid-jez4>3.0.co;2-4. PMID 10404118.
  6. ^ a b von Takach, Brenton; Scheele, Ben C.; Moore, Harry; Murphy, Brett P.; Banks, Sam C. (2020). "Patterns of niche contraction identify vital refuge areas for declining mammals". Diversity and Distributions. 26 (11): 1467–1482. doi:10.1111/ddi.13145. hdl:1885/286535. ISSN 1366-9516. S2CID 221758373.


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