335.

Greater Stick-nest Rat

Leporillus conditor

French: Grand Léporille / German: GroRe Haschenratte / Spanish: Rata constructora grande

Other common names: House-building Rat

Taxonomy. Mus conditor Gould, 1843,

about 45 miles (= 72 km) from Laidley Ponds, Polia area, New South Wales, Australia.

Leporillus conditor was in the past placed in genus Conilurus, but since 1920s has been treated as a distinctive species in its own genus. Form L. jonesi, described in 1921 from Franklin Islands, South Australia, was synonymized within L. conditor by W. D. L. Ride in 1970 and by subsequent authors. The other species in the genus, L. apicalis, went extinct sometime around 1933

when the last individuals were recorded, although some unconfirmed records have persisted. Monotypic.

Distribution. Natural distribution now restricted to West and East Franklin Is, Nuyts Archipelago, South Australia. From 1990, successful introductions (assisted colonization) from there to Salutation I, W Western Australia, and to Reevesby I and Saint Peter I, South Australia; also reintroduced to predator-exclosures at Mt Gibson Sanctuary, Western Australia, Arid Recovery Reserve, Roxby Downs, South Australia, and Scotia Sanctuary, New South Wales. Attempted reintroduction to Faure I, Western Australia, failed.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 170-260 mm,tail 145-180 mm, ear 28-32 mm, hindfoot 40-48 mm; weight 180-450 g. The Greater Stick-nest Rat is a moderately large species of native rat with short fluffy fur. Dorsal pelage is yellowish brown to gray with a rufous that is most noticeable on the sides, where the furis lighter. Ventral pelage is a creamy white; venter is not sharply demarcated from the dorsum since they merge into each other. Feet are small and hindfeet are elongated with a distinctive white stripe dorsally; except for white dorsal patch on hindfoot, feet are entirely black.Ears are long and blackish brown; vibrissae are relatively short. Tail is shorter (¢.75%) than head-body length, lightly furred, and distinctly bicolored, being dark brown dorsally and gray ventrally. Greater Stick-nest Rats sit in a hunched posture when resting, which is reminiscent of a rabbit, giving them there generic name ( Leporillus meaning “little hare”). Skull is relatively short with a short rostrum. Females have two pairs of inguinal mammae. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 48; FN = 56.

Habitat. Found mostly in shrublands (particularly those dominated by chenopods) and woodlands. On Franklin Is, occurs in chenopod shrublands, grasslands, and rocky areas.

Food and Feeding. The Greater Stick-nest Rat is herbivorous, mostly browsing on foliage and consuming fruits of succulent shrubs and herbs, but also some grass material.

Breeding. Reproduction can occur in all months, but peaks in autumn and winter; litter size 1-4. Gestation lasts about 44 days.

Activity patterns. Terrestrial and nocturnal. The Greater Stick-nest Rat shelters during day mostly in substantial and distinctive stick-nest structures (mounds of tightly interwoven sticks to 1 m height x 1-5 m diameter), often established around a bush or hollow tree. Tunnels lead from a central grass nest to the perimeter of the stick mound. Most of the nest-building activity is undertaken by adult females. Insome areasit shelters also in burrows made by rabbits or breeding seabirds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Social system is largely centered on stick-nests, individuals generally staying within 150 m of diurnal shelter sites when foraging. Large mounds may be used and managed by family groups of 10-20 animals (although typically with only one adult male and one adult female); their use may be maintained over many generations. Adult females may have non-overlapping home ranges.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List, downlisted from previous categorization as Vulnerable owing to a longstanding recovery program, including successful translocations that have led to some recent increase in population size and number of locations. Captive breeding population established in 1985. Listed as vulnerable under Australian legislation. At the time of European settlement of Australia, the Greater Stick-nest Rat occurred extensively

across mainland southern Australia from coastal mid-Western Australia to south-west New South Wales; range reduction greater than 99% over 200 years. Broad-scale extirpations across mainland range (and Faure Island) due to predation by the introduced Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and house cat; may also have been affected by habitat degradation resulting from changed fire regime, and habitat degradation and resource depletion from grazing by livestock and the introduced European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Total population in natural range (Franklin Islands) is about 1000 individuals, with a further 1500-3000 individuals in translocated populations. Restricted to sites at which feral cats and foxes are absent, and unable to persist in mainland Australian areas outside predator-exclosures.

Bibliography. Copley (1999), Jackson & Groves (2015), Moseby & Bice (2004), Moseby et al. (2011), Ogilby (1892), Ride (1970), Robinson (1975), Ryan et al. (2003), Troughton (1923), Van Dyck & Strahan (2008), Watts & Aslin (1981), Woinarski etal. (2014).