334.

Northern Short-tailed Mouse

Leggadina lakedownensis

French: Rat de Lakeland / German: Nordliche Australien-Zwergmaus / Spanish: Raton de cola corta de Australia septentrional

Other common names: Lakeland Downs Leggadina, Lakeland Downs Mouse, Lakeland Downs Short-tailed Mouse, Thevenard Island Mouse, Tropical Short-tailed Mouse

Taxonomy. Leggadina lakedownensis Watts, 1976,

110 km north of Cooktown, Lakeland Downs, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.

Leggadina lakedownensis exhibits some marked morphological and genetic variation across range, most notably with Thevenard Island population atypically large in most morphological characteristics and with some genetic differentiation as shown by D. Moro and colleagues in 1998, although N. K. Cooper and coworkers in 2003 considered these not sufficient to merit subspecific status. L. lakedownensis is largely allopatric with regard to its sole congener, L. forresti . Monotypic.

Distribution. Extensive, but sparse and discontinuous, distribution in monsoonal N Australian mainland, extending S to the Pilbara region; present also on Thevenard I, oft NW Western Australia. Translocated to nearby Serrurier I.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 50-92 mm, tail 40-80 mm, ear 11-13 mm, hindfoot 14-17 mm; weight 15-30 g. The Northern Short-tailed Mouse is a small species of native mouse with anarrow, pointed head and a broad, blunt muzzle like in the Central Short-tailed Mouse ( L. forresti). Dorsal pelage is brindled gray to grayish brown that gradually blends into the ventral pelage. Hairs on dorsum have a blackish brown base and are tipped with buffy brown on the top of the back, grading to olive-buff tipped hairs on the side. Ventral pelage is pure white. Occasionally, there is a slight dark line in between the ears on the head and a lighter ring around the eyes. Ears are small and rounded, being a light pinkish gray. Vibrissae are relatively short and light in color. Feet are small and white; hindfeet are elongated. Tail is shorter (¢.80%) than head-body length, lightly furred, and distinctly bicolored, being grayish brown dorsally and a significantly lighter gray ventrally. Skull hasa flat top and short rostrum, being distinguished from the Central Short-tailed Mouse byits wider incisive foramina posteriorly, slightly large M3, and forward pointing upper incisors. Females have two pairs of inguinal mammae. Chromosomal complementis 2n = 48, FN = 50.

Habitat. Occurs in a broad range of habitats, mostly tussock grasslands and woodlands, but also hummock grasslands and open forests, typically with a dense grass cover, mostly on heavy (clay and sandy clay) soils, and often in areas subject to seasonal inundation.

Food and Feeding. Northern Short-tailed Mice are omnivorous, with diet comprising seeds, green vegetation, and invertebrates.

Breeding. On Thevenard Island breeding is seasonal, with reproduction mostly April-October;littersize is 1-4, with gestation period c¢.30 days.

Activity patterns. Terrestrial and nocturnal. Northern Short-tailed Mice shelter during day in simple burrows, often containing nests lined with dry grass.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Northern Short-tailed Mice are typically solitary, but limited information on territoriality and social systems other than from intensive study of a possibly atypical island population. On Thevenard Island, home range was 5 ha, individuals travelled up to 600 m in a single night and used multiple burrows; population density varied from 0-1 ind/ha to 6 ind/ha over a 2-5year study period. Populations may also fluctuate markedly in at least some mainland areas.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List, not listed as threatened under Australian legislation. This species’ range remains extensive. Abundance is low in areas heavily grazed by livestock, and increases with livestock removal; predation by feral cats is a reported threat. Subfossil record indicates a substantial decline in abundance in at least some areas overthe last ¢.200 years; and declines have also been reported from somesites over recent decades.

Bibliography. Breed & Ford (2007), Cole & Woinarski (2002), Cooper, Adams et al. (2003), Gibson & McKenzie (2009), Kutt & Kemp (2005), Legge et al. (2011), Moro & Bradshaw (2002), Moro & Morris (2000a, 2000b), Moro et al. (1998), Start, Burbidge, McDowell & McKenzie (2012), Start, Burbidge, McKenzie & Palmer (2007), Van Dyck & Strahan (2008), Watts (1976), Watts & Aslin (1981), Woinarski, Armstrong et al. (2010), Woinarski, Braithwaite etal. (1992).