Eastern Chestnut Mouse

Distinctive chestnut-brown dorsal fur, grey belly and pale grey feet with a thin fringe of white hairs extending beyond the claws.

Identification

Medium-sized native rodent with distinctive chestnut-brown dorsal fur, grey belly and pale grey feet with a thin fringe of white hairs extending beyond the claws. A faint eye ring may also be present. Tail shorter than the head body length and sparsely haired.

Habitat

Wet heathland, swamps, open eucalypt forest and open woodland with a grassy understory.

Distribution

Patchy distribution extending along the coast and the Great Dividing Range from Jervis Bay, NSW, north to Cooktown and inland to around 500 km in central Qld.

Feeding and diet

It shelters by day in a grass nest and feeds at night on seeds, grass stems, fungi and insects.

Breeding behaviours

Population densities peak in areas regenerating 2-4 years after fire. Breeding occurs from around August to March, with females giving birth in their second year. Gestation lasts around 27 days. Litter size ranges from 1-5 and up to three litters may be produced in a year, with some females able to breed for two years.

Conservation status

This species is listed as vulnerable in NSW and is threatened by habitat loss due to grazing, inappropriate fire regimes and predation by introduced carnivores.