''Pseudomys pilligaensis'', commonly known as the Pilliga mouse or poolkoo, 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 n ...

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 comes ...

. Its distribution comprises the Pilliga forest region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, specimens have also been trapped in the

Warrumbungle National Park Warrumbungle National Park is a heritage listed national park located in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The national park is located approximately northwest of Sydney and contained within . The park attracts approximately vi ...

and Weetalibah Nature Reserve. Its conservation status is currently listed as "Data Deficient" due to unresolved questions on its taxonomic status.

Description

''P. pilligaensis'' is a small brown mouse with grey-brown upper parts, the head and back greyer, grading through russet flanks to white underparts. The feet are pale pink on top with white hairs. The head-body length is and the tail about the same length or slightly less. The tail is pale pink with a distinct brown line along the top and a small tuft of darker hairs on the end. The ear length is and the weight of the animal is .

Taxonomy

The Pilliga mouse was first formally described in 1980 by Barry Fox and David Briscoe. They distinguished it from the similar species '' P. novohollandiae'', '' P. delicatulus'' and '' P. hermannsburgensis'' on the basis of characters such as skull size and shape and the ratio between tail and head/body length. More recent work has suggested that it is a southern population of the delicate mouse '' Pseudomys delicatulus''. Another suggestion is that it is it a hybrid between ''Pseudomys delicatulus'' and the New Holland mouse ('' Pseudomys novaehollandiae'').

Distribution and habitat

''P. pilligaensis'' was described as having a restricted distribution in the Pilliga forest in central

, initially collected from only four sites within the Pilliga "scrub", none more than 50 km apart. More recent work has shown the Pilliga Mouse is found across central and eastern sections of the Pilliga forest. However, after a bushfire in January 2013 which burned about 80% of the Warrumbungle National Park, a specimen was collected in that park. Pilliga mouse populations increase rapidly in size after fire and rain. Recent research indicates that preferred habitat for this species includes shrubby woodlands and heathlands, particularly where Broombush ''Melaleuca uncinata'' and Bloodwood ''Corymbia trachyphloia'' occurs. The mouse is nocturnal and lives in burrows.

Conservation

As of January 2015, the Pilliga mouse is currently listed by the IUCN as "Data Deficient" because of the uncertainty of its taxonomic status. If further research indicated that the Pilliga mouse is a separate species, its status would be determined as "Endangered". Threats to the population in the Pilliga include exploration and infrastructure construction relating to coal seam gas, as well as habitat loss through forestry, predation by the introduced cat and fox, and competition from the house mouse.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1762442 Pseudomys Mammals of New South Wales Vulnerable fauna of Australia Rodents of Australia Mammals described in 1980 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot