Ash-grey mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ash-grey mouse |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pseudomys
|
| Species: |
albocinereus
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Mus albocinereus |
|
The ash-grey mouse (scientific name: Pseudomys albocinereus) is a small rodent that belongs to the mouse and rat family, Muridae. It's a bit bigger and stronger than the common house mouse you might know. You can only find this special mouse in Southwest Australia.
Contents
What is the Ash-Grey Mouse?
Its Scientific Name
The ash-grey mouse got its first scientific description in 1845. A famous naturalist named John Gould wrote about it. He found it near Moore's River in Western Australia. Gould first thought it belonged to the same group as the regular house mouse.
Later studies showed it's closely related to the silky mouse (Pseudomys apodemoides). This helps scientists understand how different mouse species are connected.
Local Names for the Mouse
When John Gould wrote his book Mammals of Australia in 1863, he mentioned local names for this mouse. People in Perth called it noo-jee. Those near Moore's River called it jup-pert.
These names were shared with Gould by John Gilbert. He learned them from interviews with local people. The name noodji (pronounced noodj'i) is still used by people who speak the Noongar language.
What Does the Ash-Grey Mouse Look Like?
Size and Fur
The ash-grey mouse is a medium-sized mouse. It usually weighs between 15 and 40 grams. That's about as much as a few strawberries! It has long, soft fur. Its fur is mostly a mid-grey color. It also has patches of light brown.
The fur on its belly, under its eyes, and around its nose is white. This light color helps it blend in with its sandy home. It's great camouflage!
Body Features
Its head and body are usually 70 to 100 millimeters long. Its tail is a bit longer, from 85 to 110 millimeters. The tail has a little bit of hair. It's mostly pink, but the top part near the body is dark brown.
Its back feet are 20 to 25 millimeters long. The bottom of its feet feels a bit rough. It has five toes, and the pads at the end of its toes are larger than the pads in between. Its ears are typical for this type of mouse. They are smaller than many other mice, about 17 to 19 millimeters long. Female ash-grey mice have four teats, which are used for feeding their young.
How to Tell it Apart from Other Mice
The ash-grey mouse lives in the same areas as the western mouse (Pseudomys occidentalis). You can tell them apart because the western mouse has a longer, grey tail. Its fur is also more buff-colored. The pads on its toes are different too.
The common European house mouse (Mus musculus) is also found in Australia. It has smaller eyes than the ash-grey mouse. It also has a special notch on its front teeth. Plus, it has a distinct "mousey" smell.
How Does the Ash-Grey Mouse Live?
Daily Habits
These mice are usually gentle and calm. They are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. During the day, they rest in deep burrows they dig. They also make nests from leaves or inside hollow logs.
What They Eat
The ash-grey mouse is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes small insects and other arthropods. But mostly, it eats seeds and green plants. It enjoys leaves and fresh shoots.
Movement and Breeding
Ash-grey mice usually move along the ground. However, they can also climb low shrubs to find food. In the western part of their range, they usually have one litter of babies in the spring. But in other areas, they can breed whenever conditions are good.
These mice are very good at living in dry, sandy places. They are fossorial, which means they are good at digging and living underground. They plug the entrances to their burrows. They also huddle together in groups. This helps them save water and stay cool in the desert. Females have litters of two to six young. The babies are born after about 37 to 38 days.
Where Does the Ash-Grey Mouse Live?
Preferred Home
The ash-grey mouse likes to live in areas with low heathland or scrubland. These places usually have sandy soils. The plants in these areas are often kwongan coastal heath. There might also be tall shrubs with tussock grasses underneath.
Where to Find Them
You can find the ash-grey mouse in Southwest Australia. Its range stretches from Shark Bay all the way to Israelite Bay. This area has a warm, dry climate, similar to the Mediterranean. The mice are spread out across this region, but they are not very common.
They also live on two islands off the coast: Bernier and Dorre Islands. The mice on these islands are a special group called Pseudomys albocinereus squalorum. In 1863, John Gould noted that the species was common on the coastal sand dunes north of the Swan River Colony.
See also
In Spanish: Pseudomys albocinereus para niños
