Western pebble-mound mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western pebble-mound mouse |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pseudomys
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| Species: |
chapmani
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The Western pebble-mound mouse, also called Ngadji, is a small rodent. Its scientific name is Pseudomys chapmani. This mouse is known for digging burrows and building small mounds of pebbles. It belongs to the Muridae family, which includes many types of mice and rats. You can find these special mice only in the Pilbara, a remote area in northwest Australia.
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Discovering the Western Pebble-Mound Mouse
A scientist named D.J. Kitchener first officially described this mouse in 1980. Before this, people thought it was the same as another mouse called the Sandy inland mouse (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis).
The Western pebble-mound mouse was named after Andrew Chapman. He was a biologist who worked with mammals at the W.A. Museum. The first mouse used to describe the species was found near Mt Meharry.
In the local language of the Pilbara region, this animal is called Ngadji. It is also known as the "Pebble-mound Mouse" because of the unique homes it builds.
What the Western Pebble-Mound Mouse Looks Like
This mouse has fur that is a buff-brown color. It gets darker, almost blackish, on its head. Its paws are white underneath and buff-colored on top. The fur on its belly, throat, and mouth area is white.
The Western pebble-mound mouse looks a lot like its relative, the Sandy inland mouse. However, you can tell them apart by a few features. The Western pebble-mound mouse has smaller ears, feet, and tail. Its feet are usually no longer than 16 millimeters.
Where the Western Pebble-Mound Mouse Lives
This mouse lives only in Western Australia. It prefers to live in areas with pebbly soil. These places are often dry grasslands or woodlands with acacia trees.
Like other pebble-mound mice, the Western pebble-mound mouse creates its own special home. It gathers small stones, or pebbles, and scatters them around its burrows. This helps the mouse in a clever way. In the morning, the air around the pebbles warms up faster than the pebbles themselves. This difference in temperature causes tiny drops of dew to form. This dew can be a source of water for the mouse in its dry habitat.
The plants found in their favorite homes include Triodia basedowii and T. pungens, which are types of spinifex grass. Other plants like Cassia, Acacia, and Ptilotus also grow there. These mice are often found where small stones are exposed by eroding sand.
How the Western Pebble-Mound Mouse is Doing
The Western pebble-mound mouse lives in different groups that are spread out across its home range. Its habitat is changing because of how land is being used. This means that the areas where the mouse lives are getting smaller.
According to the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this mouse is now found only in the central and eastern parts of the Pilbara in Western Australia. It used to live in more places than it does now.
- Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1455. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=13001708.
