Scientific name Pseudomys Higher classification Murinae Order Rodent | Subphylum Vertebrata Subfamily Murinae Phylum Chordata Rank Genus | |
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Pseudomys is a genus of rodent that contains a wide variety of mice native to Australia and New Guinea. They are among the few terrestrial placental mammals that colonised Australia without human intervention.
Contents
Natural history
This genus contains a number of species with different habits making generalisation difficult. The overall body size varies widely, ranging from 60–160 mm. The tail is 60–180 mm and the weight is recorded from 12–90 g. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats from rainforests to plains and grasslands. The animals are nocturnal and spend the day in burrows. Food also varies with some species eating seeds, roots and insects while others feed primarily on grasses. The pebble-mound mice are unique in creating mounds of stones around their burrows. Several species of Pseudomys are threatened due to competition with introduced species and habitat destruction. Several others are probably extinct.
Etymology
The name Pseudomys means "false mouse" presumably in reference to both its similarity and uniqueness from "true mice" in the genus Mus.
Species
Genus Pseudomys - Australian native mice
