kids encyclopedia robot

Gould's mouse facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Gould's mouse
Pseudomys gouldii - Gould.jpg
Conservation status

Extinct  (1857?) (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:
Pseudomys
Species:
gouldii

Gould's mouse (Pseudomys gouldii) lived in eastern inland Australia, and was named after John Gould. It was slightly smaller than a black rat, and quite social, living in small family groups that sheltered by day in a nest of soft, dry grass in a burrow. It usually dug burrows at a depth of 15 cm under bushes. Gould's mouse was common and widespread before European settlement, but disappeared rapidly after the 1840s, perhaps being exterminated by cats. Alternatively, it may have been out-competed by the introduced rats and mice, succumbed to introduced diseases or been affected by grazing stock and changed fire regimes. Despite extensive survey work in its known range, the last specimens were collected in 1856–57, and it is presumed to be extinct.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pseudomys gouldii para niños

kids search engine
Gould's mouse Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.