New Holland Mouse

About the New Holland Mouse

The New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) also known as a Pookila 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. It is found only in south east Australia, within the states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Tasmania.

The New Holland mouse has a grey-brown fur with a dusky-brown tail, which is darker on the dorsal side. Its body length is roughly 65–90mm, with a tail length of 80–105 mm (3.1–4.1 in), and a hind foot length of approximately 20–22 mm (0.79–0.87 in). The New Holland mouse's size has been shown to vary slightly depending on the environment. Populations of New Holland mice that live in Tasmania, have a slightly larger body weight than those that are from New South Wales and Victoria. Despite this, however, the head shape and length share the measurements as in Tasmania, New South Wales, and Victoria.

It has also been noted that the New Holland mouse looks very similar to the common house mouse, which was introduced to the area by European settlers. It can be differentiated... Wikipedia →