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Ash-gray Mouse

Pseudomys albocinereus

French: Pseudomys gris / German: Aschgraue Australienmaus / Spanish: Ratén gris cenizo

Other common names: Ash-gray Pseudomys

Taxonomy. Mus albocinereus Gould, 1845,

scrubby plain near Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Initially described as a Mus species, albocinereus was placed either in Pseudomys or in Gyo-mys by various authors. Genus Pseudomys was used by G. H. H. Tate in 1951 and subsequent authors on morphological grounds. A subsequent molecular analysis suggested that Pseudomys was not a monophyletic genus, but P. albocinereus was found to be in

same clade as P. apodemoides and P. fumeus by F. Ford in 2006 and B. Breed and Ford in 2007, afinding supported in molecular analysis by P. Smissen and K. C. Rowe in H. J. McLennan and colleagues’ 2017 study. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.a.albocinereusGould,1845—scrubbyplainsinW&SWesternAustralia.

P. a. squalorum Thomas, 1907 — Bernier,

Dorre, and Dirk Hartog Is, Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 63-110 mm,tail 85-115 mm, ear 17-19 mm, hindfoot 20-26 mm; weight 14-40 g. Females are smaller and have shorter tail than males. The small Ash-gray Mouse exhibits a silver-gray dorsal pelage and a white ventral pelage. The naked tail is pink,like the feet. Tail is longer than head-body length.

Habitat. Low heathland and shrubland on sandy soils.

Food and Feeding. The Ash-gray Mouse is omnivorous.

Breeding. Gestation lasts 37-38 days, and average littersize is four (range 2-6).

Activity patterns. Ash-gray Mice are terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Ashgray Mouse is widespread in south-west Western Australia; there appear not to be any major threats, and the species is present in several protected areas.

Bibliography. Breed & Ford (2007), Ford (2006), McLennan et al. (2017), Morris (2008), Murray et al. (1999), Steppan & Schenk (2017), Tate (1951), Watts & Aslin (1981).