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Australian Smoky Mouse

Pseudomys fumeus

French: Pseudomys fuligineux / German: Rauchgraue Australienmaus / Spanish: Ratén ahumado de Australia

Other common names: Smoky Mouse, Smoky Pseudomys

Taxonomy. Pseudomys (Gyomys) fumeus Brazenor, 1934,

Turton’s Pass, Otway Forest, Victoria, Australia .

Initially attributed to subgenus Gyomys, P.fumeuswas placed in subgenus Pseudomys by G. H. H.Tate in 1951. Molecular study by F. Ford in 2006 and B. Breed and Ford in 2007 placed it in a cladewith P. apodemoides and P. albocinereus, an arrangement supported by the further molecular work of P. Smissen and K. C. Rowe in H. J.

McLennan and colleagues’ 2017 study. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 85-125 mm,tail 110-155 mm, ear 21-22 mm, hindfoot 28-29 mm; weight 45-90 g. The Australian Smoky Mouse is a small rodent with apale gray to dark gray or black dorsal pelage contrasting with a white or gray belly. The bicolored tail (black above, white below) is slightly longer than head-body length. Females bear four mammae. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48, FNa = 54.

Habitat. Found in subalpine woodland regions to coastal heath and heathy woodlands. This species requires an understory with heathy shrubs has also been found in deep wet drainage systems.

Food and Feeding. The Australian Smoky Mouse is primarily herbivorous. Main diet is composed of seeds, berries, and fungi, but the species occasionally feeds on insects.

Breeding. Breeding is seasonal, and females can have 1-2 litters of 3-4 young/year.

Activity patterns. Australian Smoky Mice are terrestrial and, in captivity, showed a nocturnal activity.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Individuals of this species occur in low abundance and at low population density with their distribution being very fragmented.

Bibliography. Breed & Ford (2007), Ford (2006, 2008a), Ford et al. (2003), Jackson & Groves (2015), McLennan et al. (2017), Menkhorst (1995), Tate (1951), Watts & Aslin (1981), Woods & Ford (2000).