Smoky mouse

Above: An adult female smoky mouse. Photo David Paul, CC BY 4.0

<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Right: Zoos Victoria’s Native Rodent Biologist, Dr Phoebe Burns.

Photo courtesy Zoos Victoria.

Q&A with Zoos Victoria’s Dr Phoebe Burns

The smoky mouse (Pseudomys fumeus) is one of Murrindindi National Recovery Teams for both species. To get you better acquainted with Shire’s endangered native rodent species, with populations hanging on in the Lake Eildon and Yarra Ranges national parks. Zoos Victoria’s Native Rodent Biologist, Dr Phoebe Burns, met her first “smokies” on a Grampians research trip in 2012, completed a Master’s on their response to the 2013 bushfires and has worked with them ever since. Dr Burns manages Zoos Victoria’s native rodent conservation programs, focusing on the Smoky Mouse and New Holland Mouse. She also chairs the our local smokies, Dr Burns shares some of her expertise from the last decade of studying these fascinating little critters.

1. How would you describe the smoky mouse and is it really a ‘mouse’?

The word ‘mouse’ doesn’t quite conjure up the right image when describing smokies – they’re far more charming than the nonnative house mice that people are used to invading their homes, and much less smelly. Smokies are a petite 50-60 grams, about three

Photo: David Paul, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

times the size of a house mouse, but much smaller than a black rat (and you would never find smokies in your house!). They are named for their soft bluegrey, smoke-coloured fur, and have white bellies, pink feet, and striking bicoloured tails – dark on top and white/ pink skin underneath. Is ‘mouse’ an accurate word to use though? Well, yes. But it’s not a bad thing! Smoky mice are a small rodent, and they do belong to a group of hundreds of species globally that we refer to as rats and mice (unlike antechinus, which are tiny marsupials common through Murrindindi Shire and are often mistakenly referred to as mice). Unfortunately for smokies, the rats and mice that people are most familiar with are non-native pests, the ones that go around invading houses and giving all the other mice a bad name.

2. Where is the smoky mouse found in Victoria?

The smoky mouse used to be found from the coast to the Alps in Victoria, with records from sea level to 1800 metres. However, our coastal populations in East Gippsland and the Otways haven’t been seen for decades, and the species is only holding on in more mountainous country in small patches in the Grampians, the Central Highlands, and the Victorian Alps. Our healthiest and most stable populations are in the Central Highlands in places like Big River State Forest, Yarra Ranges National Park, and Lake Eildon National Park.

3. What sorts of places does the smoky mouse live in, what does it eat, and what are its breeding behaviours like?

Smoky mice are nocturnal and shelter together in burrows in Eucalyptus leaflined nesting chambers during the day. Their burrows can be relatively complex networks of tunnels and nesting chambers, and generally have two entrances hidden under plants, logs or rocks.

They are omnivores, which means they eat a wide variety of things including fungi, seeds, fruit, flowers and invertebrates. Smoky mice are seasonal breeders, giving birth in spring and summer, producing one to two litters of three to four pups per year. It may sound like a lot, but in comparison, those pesky house mice that swell to plague proportions can opportunistically pump out five to ten litters of six to eight pups per year.

4. What makes the smoky mouse special and what role does it play in the ecosystem?

Smoky mice are one of 67 native Australian rodent species, all entirely unique and quirky in their own ways, from aptly named stick-nest rats that build giant nests out of piles of sticks, to the rakali (water rat) that basically acts like an Australian version of an otter.

Unfortunately, 13 Australian rodent species have gone extinct in the past 230 years, and half the remaining species are under threat. Each species is special regardless, but the rate at which we have been losing our native rodents really highlights the importance of actively protecting and conserving the ones we have left. Smoky mice contribute to maintaining healthy ecosystems by helping with seed and fungal spore dispersal. They also dig burrow systems that often end up being used by other species either as a home or a refuge. There have been plenty of stories about animals sheltering in wombat burrows during fires – smoky mice just cater to a smaller demographic.

5. The smoky mouse is endangered in Victoria – what are the biggest threats to this species and how is its future looking at the moment?

The smoky mouse faces many threats including predation by feral cats and foxes, habitat loss and degradation due to logging, and the impacts of climate change – increasing frequency and severity of drought and fire. Combined, these factors snowball and make each other worse; for example, predation risk increases following severe fire, and habitat loss can create barriers to dispersal that may lead to issues with genetic diversity. Despite everything the mouse is up against, I’m

confident that we can help it to survive well into the future. We have a clear focus on the species and such a great team working to save it at a national level.

We may not be able to single-handedly stop climate change on behalf of the mice, but we’re continually improving our management efforts and working to minimise the impacts of threats on wild populations.

6. What is Zoos Victoria doing to support the smoky mouse?

Our commitment at Zoos Victoria is that no Victorian terrestrial vertebrate species will go extinct on our watch, and that includes the smoky mouse. We have ongoing, long-term monitoring programs in place across remaining populations, so we can check how the species responds to things like drought, fire, and management interventions. We’re working with land management agencies and the National Smoky Mouse Recovery Team to ensure that we’re using the best science to mitigate the threats the species is facing and protect it into the future.

David Paul, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

7. How can people get on board and help save the smoky mouse?

One of the big ways we can help the smoky mouse and countless other species is action on climate change. We’re already seeing the impacts of climate change, but it’s not too late to prevent things from getting much worse. For people at home this can mean anything from advocating for effective climate change policies, to using renewable energy in your home. For smoky mice and a lot of other species, checking to make sure that the paper and timber products you use come from sustainable sources can help protect remaining habitat. Check out our Wipe for Wildlife program to see how your choice in toilet paper can make a difference!

And if you have a cat, help to protect it and wildlife by keeping it indoors or building an outdoor enclosure – Zoos Victoria’s Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife program can provide some helpful tips.

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