Desert Mouse
Delicate Mouse
Desert Mouse , Pseudomys desertor , Delicate Mouse , P . delicatulus
What do they look like ? The Desert Mouse grows to approximately 10 cm , with a tail about the same length . Dark brown to reddish-brown with a faint , but distinct orange-brown eye ring . The Delicate Mouse is small , about 5 cm long , with tail longer than the body . Its body and tail are distinctly 2-toned – buff on top , cream to white below .
Where do they live ? Desert Mice are largely confined to Desert Upland parts of the region where mature spinifex or other thick , native grass cover occurs . Delicate Mice are widespread and less habitat specific , although they seem to prefer sandy soils . Both species are common in suitable habitats ..
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Desert Mice require thick ground cover to persist . They prefer long unburnt spinifex country . Delicate Mice on the other hand occur in a wide range of habitats and generally those recently burnt or of low cover . Both species feed on seeds , leaves and stems of grasses , sedges and herbs .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Both are rarely encountered . Small mice found around station infrastructure are usually the introduced House Mouse , which look similar . Desert Mice may undergo rapid population expansions to fill habitat as it becomes available after good rain , but there must be sufficient ground cover .
What management actions affect this species ? In long-unburnt country , the Desert Mouse is more abundant , and the Delicate Mouse is uncommon . Conversely , when the country burns , Desert Mouse numbers decline , and the Delicate Mouse breeds . This is due to their body size and habitat preference . A small-bodied mouse can shelter from predators more easily in burnt habitat than a large mouse . The Delicate Mouse also loves fresh seedling forbs and annual grasses . Conversely , the larger Desert Mouse needs dense cover for shelter , and has a diet of seeds , leaves and young shoots . Small mosaic fires that leave refuges of dense habitat will maintain habitat for both species . Spelling after burning to allow grass recovery , is important in retaining habitat patches for these two mice .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? Being seed and vegetation feeders these mice help cycle nutrients in vegetation and disperse seeds . Native mice are eaten by a wide variety of other animals , especially snakes and nocturnal birds , such as owls and frogmouths . By allowing these predators to persist , there are species in the landscape ready to feed on unwelcome introduced rodents that can occur in plague proportions .
Similar species : House Mouse ( Mus musculus ), Eastern Chestnut Mouse ( Pseudomys gracilicaudatus ), Pebble-mound Mouse ( Pseudomys patrius ).
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