Dusky Hopping Mouse
Encyclopedia
The Dusky Hopping Mouse (Notomys fuscus) is an Australia
n native rodent
specialised for the deep desert. Like all hopping mice it has strong front teeth, a long tail, dark eyes, big ears, well-developed haunches and very long, narrow hind feet. It weighs between 20 gram. (Compare with the common House Mouse, at 10 gram.)
The Dusky Hopping Mouse has four pads on its soles. Colouration varies but tends to be pale orange, sometimes with grey tinges, and white underneath. Fur is short, fine, and soft. The long tail ends in a dark brush.
Breeding is opportunistic, depending on conditions rather than the time of year. Females have four teats and the young reach maturity in about 70 days.
The Dusky Hopping Mouse is classified as vulnerable. Old records show that it once occupied a large area of Central Australia
including parts of Queensland
, New South Wales
as far as Victoria, the Northern Territory
and South Australia
but it now appears to be restricted to a small number of locations in the Strzelecki Desert
and nearby regions in the South Australia-Queensland border area. It is possible that some survive in the Northern Territory also, though surveys in 2000 and 2002 did not find any.
The remaining populations are concentrated in sandy habitats which have consolidated dunes and perennial vegetation and are close to lakes or drainage lines. (Bear it in mind that "lakes" in Central Australia are normally dry, often for years on end: permanent surface water is very unusual.) Dusky Hopping Mice are nocturnal and gregarious. During the days, they shelter in very deep burrow systems. The access shafts are about 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter and go straight down for about 1.5 m (4.9 ft).
The reasons for the decline of the Dusky Hopping Mouse are not fully understood, but are assumed to be competition for food with introduced species
, particularly cattle
and rabbits, and predation by introduced cats and foxes.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n native rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
specialised for the deep desert. Like all hopping mice it has strong front teeth, a long tail, dark eyes, big ears, well-developed haunches and very long, narrow hind feet. It weighs between 20 gram. (Compare with the common House Mouse, at 10 gram.)
The Dusky Hopping Mouse has four pads on its soles. Colouration varies but tends to be pale orange, sometimes with grey tinges, and white underneath. Fur is short, fine, and soft. The long tail ends in a dark brush.
Breeding is opportunistic, depending on conditions rather than the time of year. Females have four teats and the young reach maturity in about 70 days.
The Dusky Hopping Mouse is classified as vulnerable. Old records show that it once occupied a large area of Central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
including parts of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
as far as Victoria, the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
but it now appears to be restricted to a small number of locations in the Strzelecki Desert
Strzelecki Desert
The Strzelecki Desert is located in the Far North Region of South Australia, southwest Queensland and western New South Wales. It is positioned in the northeast of the Lake Eyre Basin, and north of the Flinders Ranges. Two other deserts occupy the Lake Eyre Basin—the Tirari Desert and the...
and nearby regions in the South Australia-Queensland border area. It is possible that some survive in the Northern Territory also, though surveys in 2000 and 2002 did not find any.
The remaining populations are concentrated in sandy habitats which have consolidated dunes and perennial vegetation and are close to lakes or drainage lines. (Bear it in mind that "lakes" in Central Australia are normally dry, often for years on end: permanent surface water is very unusual.) Dusky Hopping Mice are nocturnal and gregarious. During the days, they shelter in very deep burrow systems. The access shafts are about 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter and go straight down for about 1.5 m (4.9 ft).
The reasons for the decline of the Dusky Hopping Mouse are not fully understood, but are assumed to be competition for food with introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, particularly cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and rabbits, and predation by introduced cats and foxes.