List of Australian rodents
Encyclopedia
This is the list of rodents of Australia
. Australia has a large number of indigenous rodents, all from the Family Muridae
. These are presumed to have arrived within the last 4 million years from Asia. The Black Rat
, Brown Rat
, Pacific Rat and House Mouse
were accidentally introduced to Australia with European settlement, as was a small population of the Five-lined Palm Squirrel near Perth
.
Muridae
Muridae
Muridae
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Australia has a large number of indigenous rodents, all from the Family Muridae
Muridae
Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
. These are presumed to have arrived within the last 4 million years from Asia. The Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
, Brown Rat
Brown Rat
The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
, Pacific Rat and House Mouse
House mouse
The house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
were accidentally introduced to Australia with European settlement, as was a small population of the Five-lined Palm Squirrel near Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
MuridaeMuridaeMuridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
- White-footed Rabbit Rat†, Conilurus albipes - extinct
- Brush-tailed Rabbit RatBrush-Tailed Rabbit RatThe Brush-tailed Rabbit Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea....
, Conilurus penicillatus
- Rakali, Hydromys chrysogaster
- Forrest's MouseForrest's MouseForrest's Mouse or Desert Short-tailed Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia....
, Leggadina forresti - Lakeland Downs MouseLakeland Downs MouseThe Lakeland Downs Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.Its natural habitat is dry savanna....
, Leggadina lakedownensis
- Lesser Stick-nest RatLesser Stick-nest RatThe Lesser Stick-nest Rat or White-tipped Stick-nest Rat lived in Southern inland Australia. It accumulated large mounds of sticks to construct its nests, which were up to three metres long and a metre high. It was easily tamed, sometimes climbing onto tables to get sugar. It was also eaten by...
†, Leporillus apicalis - extinct - Greater Stick-nest RatGreater Stick-Nest RatThe Greater Stick-nest Rat, House-building Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia on the Franklin Islands and St Peter Island in the Nuyts Archipelago, Reevesby Island, Salutation Island, Faure Island and Heirisson Prong, and a fenced off area at Roxby Downs...
, Leporillus conditor
- Broad-toothed MouseBroad-toothed MouseThe Broad-toothed Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.-Distribution and habitat:It is found only in South-eastern Australia. In Victoria live specimens were caught in the Snowfields, Great Dividing Range to Barrington Tops in New South Wales, Gippsland Highlands, Otway Rangers and...
, Mastacomys fuscus
- Grassland Melomys, Melomys burtoni
- Cape York Melomys, Melomys capensis
- Fawn-footed Melomys, Melomys cervinipes
- Bramble Cay Melomys, Melomys rubicola
- Black-footed Tree-ratBlack-footed Tree-ratThe Black-footed Tree-rat, Mesembriomys gouldii, is one of two endemic arboreal rat species from the genus Mesembriomys found in Australia....
, Mesembriomys gouldi - Golden-Backed Tree RatGolden-Backed Tree RatThe Golden-backed Tree Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia....
, Mesembriomys macrurus
- Spinifex Hopping MouseSpinifex Hopping MouseThe Spinifex Hopping Mouse , also known as the Tarkawara or Tarrkawarra, occurs throughout the central and western Australian arid zones, occupying both spinifex-covered sand flats and stabilised sand dunes, and loamy mulga and melaleuca flats.The population fluctuates greatly: in normal years it...
, Notomys alexis - Short-tailed Hopping MouseShort-tailed Hopping MouseThe Short-tailed Hopping Mouse is an extinct species of mouse from open stony plains with desert grasses, low shrubs and sand ridges in the area around Charlotte Waters, near Alice Springs in Central Australia. It weighed 80 grams. The last record is from June 1896. Only two complete specimens...
†, Notomys amplus - extinct - Northern Hopping MouseNorthern Hopping MouseThe Northern Hopping Mouse, Souris Sauteuse, or Ratones Saltadores De Australia is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in coastal northern Australia, from Arnhem Land to the Cobourg Peninsula....
, Notomys aquilo - Fawn Hopping MouseFawn Hopping MouseThe Fawn Hopping Mouse is a rodent native to the central Australian desert. Like all hopping mice it has strong front teeth, a long tail, dark eyes, big ears, well-developed haunches and very long, narrow hind feet. It weighs between...
, Notomys cervinus - Dusky Hopping MouseDusky Hopping MouseThe Dusky Hopping Mouse is an Australian native rodent specialised for the deep desert. Like all hopping mice it has strong front teeth, a long tail, dark eyes, big ears, well-developed haunches and very long, narrow hind feet. It weighs between . The Dusky Hopping Mouse has four pads on its soles...
, Notomys fuscus - Long-tailed Hopping MouseLong-tailed Hopping MouseThe long-tailed hopping mouse is an extinct species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was found only in Australia. It is known from a handful of specimens, the last of which was collected in 1901 or possibly 1902...
†, Notomys longicaudatus - extinct - Big-eared Hopping MouseBig-eared Hopping MouseThe big-eared hopping mouse is an extinct species of mouse, which lived in the Moore River area of south-western Australia. The big-eared hopping mouse was a small, rat-sized animal resembling a tiny kangaroo. It moved by bounding upon its enlarged hind feet.Hopping mice are vulnerable to...
†, Notomys macrotis - extinct - Mitchell's Hopping MouseMitchell's Hopping MouseMitchell's Hopping Mouse, Notomys mitchellii, is the largest extant member of the genus Notomys, weighing between . N. mitchellii is a bipedal rodent with large back legs, similar to a jerboa or kangaroo rat. The species occurs throughout much of semi-arid Southern Australia, and appears to be...
, Notomys mitchelli - Darling Downs Hopping MouseDarling Downs Hopping MouseThe Darling Downs hopping mouse is an extinct species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is known from a single skull found at Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. Introduced predators such as foxes and domestic cats may have forced this species into extinction....
†, Notomys mordax - extinct - Great Hopping MouseGreat Hopping MouseThe Great Hopping Mouse is extinct. It is known only from skulls found in owl pellets in the Flinders Ranges. Some pellets also include bones of the introduced House Mouse—indicating that it survived into historic times, possibly the second half of the 19th century. From the skull, it appears to...
†, Notomys sp. - extinct
- Prehensile-tailed RatPrehensile-tailed RatThe Prehensile-tailed Rat is a species of rodent that can be found in New Guinea and Australia where it occurs in the tropical rainforest of Queensland....
, Pogonomys mollipilosus
- Ash-grey Mouse, Pseudomys albocinereus
- Silky MouseSilky MouseThe Silky Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys apodemoides - Plains Rat, Pseudomys australis
- Bolam's MouseBolam's MouseBolam's Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Rodent Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys bolami - Kakadu Pebble-mound MouseKakadu Pebble-mound MouseThe Kakadu Pebble-mound Mouse is a rodent native to Australia. It is one of the pebble-mound mice....
, Pseudomys calabyi - Western Pebble-mound MouseWestern Pebble-Mound MouseThe Western Pebble-mound Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is native to and found only in Australia, where it lives in pebbly soils in arid tussock grassland and acacia woodland...
, Pseudomys chapmani - Little Native MouseLittle Native MouseThe Little Native Mouse also known as the Delicate Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Papua New Guinea....
, Pseudomys delicatulus - Desert Mouse, Pseudomys desertor
- Shark Bay MouseShark Bay MouseThe Shark Bay Mouse, Djoongari or Alice Springs Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Australia, restricted to four islands in the Shark Bay area. It was once found throughout the western two thirds of Australia but it suffered greatly after the arrival of...
, Pseudomys fieldi - Smoky MouseSmoky MouseThe Smoky Mouse, Fausse Souris Fuligineuse, or Raton Bastardo Fumoso is a species of rodent in the family Muridae native to southeastern Australia. It was first described in 1934 and its species name is Latin "smoky". As its name suggests, it is a grey-furred mouse, darker grey above and paler...
, Pseudomys fumeus - Blue-grey Mouse†, Pseudomys glaucus - extinct
- Gould's MouseGould's MouseGould's Mouse lived in eastern inland Australia, and was named after John Gould's wife, Elizabeth. It was slightly smaller than a black rat, and quite social, living in small family groups that sheltered by day in a nest of soft, dry grass in a burrow. It usually dug burrows at a depth of 15 cm...
†, Pseudomys gouldi - extinct - Eastern Chestnut MouseEastern Chestnut MouseThe Eastern Chestnut Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus - Sandy Inland MouseSandy Inland MouseThe Sandy Inland Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys hermannsburgensis - Long-tailed MouseLong-tailed MouseThe long-tailed mouse is a native Australian rodent found only on the island of Tasmania. The long-tailed mouse is an omnivore that feeds on insects and a range of plants. It is found in forested areas, particularly in sub-alpine scree, and may live in burrows.The species reaches a weight of about...
, Pseudomys higginsi - Central Pebble-mound MouseCentral Pebble-mound MouseThe Central Pebble-mound Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae, native to Australia. The Kimberley Mouse was, until recently, considered distinct from P. johnsoni, but they are now known to be conspecific. It is one of the pebble-mound mice.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996....
, Pseudomys johnsoni - Kimberley Mouse, Pseudomys laborifex
- Western Chestnut MouseWestern Chestnut MouseThe Western Chestnut Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys nanus - New Holland MouseNew Holland MouseThe New Holland Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was first described by George Waterhouse in 1843. It vanished from view for over a century before its rediscovery in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park north of Sydney in 1967...
, Pseudomys novaehollandiae - Western MouseWestern MouseThe Western Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Its Australian Aborigine name is Walyadji. It is found only in Australia....
, Pseudomys occidentalis - Hastings River MouseHastings River MouseThe Hastings River Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.-Habitat:These rodents often prefer damp and moist environments, along drainage lines if necessary...
, Pseudomys oralis - Pilliga MousePilliga MouseThe Pilliga Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in the Pilliga forest region of New South Wales, Australia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Pseudomys pilligaensis - Eastern Pebble-mound Mouse, Pseudomys patrius
- Heath MouseHeath MouseThe Heath Mouse is one of the larger pseudomyine rodents found in Australia with a body mass of 55-90g, head and body length of 90-120 mm and a tail length of 80-110 mm . Its fur is grey brown dorsally, flecked with buff and black, with a distinctly paler belly...
, Pseudomys shortridgei
- Giant White-tailed RatGiant White-tailed RatThe Giant White-tailed Rat is an Australian rodent native to tropical rainforest of north Queensland , with subspecies occurring in New Guinea and the Aru Islands...
, Uromys caudimaculatus - Masked White-tailed RatMasked White-tailed RatThe Masked White-tailed Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Australia.Descriptive English common names for this species include Masked White-tailed Rat and Thornton Peak Uromys...
, Uromys hadrourus
- False Water-rat, Xeromys myoides
- Common Rock-rat, Zyzomys argurus
- Arnhem Land Rock-rat, Zyzomys maini
- Carpentarian Rock-rat, Zyzomys palatalis
- Central Rock-rat, Zyzomys pedunculatus
- Kimberley Rock-rat, Zyzomys woodwardi
MuridaeMuridaeMuridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
- Dusky Rat, Rattus colletti
- Bush RatBush RatThe bush rat is a small Australian nocturnal animal. It is an omnivore. It is one of the most common species of rats and is found in many heathland areas of Victoria and NSW...
, Rattus fuscipes - Cape York RatCape York RatThe Cape York Rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Rattus leucopus - Swamp RatAustralian Swamp RatThe Australian Swamp Rat is a species of rat occurring around the coast of south and eastern Australia. It occurs in lowland country from Fraser Island down the coast of New South Wales and Victoria to the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia...
, Rattus lutreolus - Canefield Rat, Rattus sordidus
- Pale Field RatPale Field RatThe Pale Field Rat is a nocturnal herbivore endemic in Australia. It once occupied almost all areas of mainland Australia, but is now found only in tall grassland in northern Australia....
, Rattus tunneyi - Long-haired RatLong-Haired RatRattus villosissimus, the Australian Long-haired Rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Australia, where its core range is "the Barkly lake system of the Barkly Tableland of the Northern Territory and the Channel Country in Southwest Queensland and north-eastern South...
, Rattus villosissimus
MuridaeMuridaeMuridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
- House MouseHouse mouseThe house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
¤, Mus musculus - Pacific Rat¤, Rattus exulans
- Brown RatBrown RatThe brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
¤, Rattus norvegicus - Black RatBlack RatThe black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
¤, Rattus rattus
Sciuridae
- Five-lined Palm Squirrel¤, Funambulus pennantii
- Grey Squirrel¤, Sciurus carolinensis - extinct in Australia
See also
- List of mammals of Australia
- List of monotremes and marsupials of Australia
- List of bats of Australia
- List of placental mammals introduced to Australia
- List of marine mammals of Australia
External links
- http://www.csiro.au/multimedia/Resurrect-a-Native-Rodent-species.html