Rediscovery of the plains mouse (Pseudomys australis) (Rodentia : Muridae) in New South Wales
Keith E. A. Leggett A B D , Thanuri Welaratne A B , Michael Letnic B , Steven McLeod C and Terence Dawson A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
C Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: k.leggett@unsw.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 40(1) 127-130 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM16046
Submitted: 5 September 2016 Accepted: 19 May 2017 Published: 24 August 2017
Abstract
We report the rediscovery of the rare and endangered native rodent, the plains mouse (Pseudomys australis) in New South Wales (NSW). Two plains mice were trapped in the far west of the state at Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station and another in the NSW section of the Strzelecki Desert. Until these captures, the plains mouse was thought to have been extinct in NSW. Subfossil records indicate that these observations are within the pre-European settlement range of the species. It is uncertain whether these captures represent a range expansion from known populations in northern South Australia or reflect a local refuge population. Ensuring the conservation of P. australis in NSW requires further study to determine its distribution and the factors influencing its abundance.
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