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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 46(3)

The golden-backed tree-rat (Mesembriomys macrurus) (Peters 1876): reproduction, growth, development and behaviour in captivity

J. Anne Kerle * and Michael R. Fleming
* Correspondence to: annekerle@bigpond.com

Handling Editor: Bronwyn McAllan

Australian Mammalogy 46, AM24007 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM24007
Submitted: 29 February 2024  Accepted: 10 July 2024  Published: 29 July 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Mammal Society.

Abstract

The golden-backed tree-rat (Mesembriomys macrurus) is a large semi-arboreal rodent that has suffered a significant reduction in range since European settlement. Seven (three male, four female) founding adults for a captive colony were captured on the Mitchell Plateau, Western Australia, and transferred to Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The reproduction, growth, development and behaviour of M. macrurus in captivity were recorded. Twenty-three litters were born with litter size of 1–3 (median litter size: 2; overall sex ratio parity). There was no apparent seasonality in breeding. Oestrous cycle (9.9 ± 0.4 days) and gestation (46.8 ± 2.8 days) were estimated from known births and birth dates determined from calculated growth curves. Mean weight at birth was 17.2 g (±1.3, n = 12) and growth of the young was rapid, with head length reaching the asymptote from 54 days and head-body length from 83 days. Young were weaned at about 40 days and adult pelage complete by 98 days. Reproductive maturity occurred from 5 to 6 months for females and in males testes became scrotal from 76 days. Developmental stages and captive behaviour were also recorded. These results are compared with reproduction and growth of the closely related black-footed tree-rat (M. gouldii) and brush-tailed rabbit-rat (Conilurus penicillatus).

Keywords: captive breeding, conservation concern, gestation, growth curves, Mitchell Plateau, oestrous cycle, semi-arboreal, tropical rodent.

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