The country mouse (''Pseudomys patrius'') also known as the pebble-mound mouse or eastern pebble mound mouse AUSTRALIANFAUNA.COM 190
Eastern Pebble-mound Mouse (Pseudomys patrius)
is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae come ...

. It lives only in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where it is considered rare. It was described by Thomas and Dollman in 1909. Like other pebble-mound mice, it is known for building shallow

burrow An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...

s with

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher el ...

s of

pebble A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of based on the Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than granules ( in diameter) and smaller than cobbles ( in diameter). A rock made predominant ...

s surrounding the entrances. This function is understood to be protective and collects dew. In Queensland the observed mounds in coastal areas are smaller than in drier habitats, reflecting the need to collect more of the scarcer water. The mouse lines the tunnel walls with pebbles for

insulation Insulation may refer to: Thermal * Thermal insulation, use of materials to reduce rates of heat transfer ** List of insulation materials ** Building insulation, thermal insulation added to buildings for comfort and energy efficiency *** Insulated ...

and protection. It plugs smaller openings to the burrow system with a pebble, camouflaging the entrance, and unplugs it to exit in times of danger.

References

* Pseudomys Mammals described in 1909 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Mammals of Queensland Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Pseudomys-stub