The New Holland mouse, Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Waterhouse), in the Port Stephens district, New South Wales

Abstract

The New Holland mouse, Pseudomys novaehollandiae, a very rare species known hitherto from only five modern specimens, has been found in abundance in a limited area on the southern side of Port Stephens, N.S.W. A detailed description of the mouse and its environment is given. It lives in dry sclerophyll forest on stable dunes. The well-developed shrub layer is a sera1 stage in regeneration after fire, and the abundant leguminous plants presumably have provided ideal conditions for this seed-eating species. The future of the mouse in the area is insecure because its habitat is threatened by industrial and urban development.