Body size in Hastings River Mouse Pseudomys oralis (Rodentia: Muridae) from new and old locations D. G. Read School of Biological Science, University of New Sourh \\'ales, PO. Box I, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia 2033 This paper presents information on the Creek catchment and by 2.5 km further south geographical distribution of the rare rodent, in the Fal Brook catchment. There are now Pseudomys oralis. Body measurements are given five known localities in this state forest and on 15 male and 30 female adults, representing potentially suitable habitat occurs in the adjoin- almost 30 per cent of the total number of ing Barrington Tops National Parks and Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article-pdf/29/1-2/117/1475234/az_1993_014.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 adults known. Pseudomvs oralis is similar in surrounding private land. -A appearance to a common species, Rattwfuscipes I captured animals at 12 localities in the and features that distinguish these species are ranges from Mt. Royal (Barrington Tops) described. Possible confused identification with 3Z010'5"S, 151°19'3"E), north to Billilimbra the common rat species may partly account for State Forest (south-west from Casino) the paucity of locality records for P. omlis. (29"14'43"S, 152'20'45"E); all within the History has shown that for a few species their known geographical range of P. oralis. Twenty- status as rare was partly due to inaccurate five of the 48 individuals were trapped at nine identification in the field. The rare species was previously unpublished locations (Table 1). too readily confused with a common species. Separate localities for the species are defined However, once this confusion was recognized as places where a capture site is more than and correct identifications made, then in many 1 km from any other capture site. The species cases the rare species was found to be more was first found at two of these sites in October common. This may be the situation with the and December 1990 prior to my trapping: rare Hastings River Mouse, Pseudomys oralis. resoectivelv. at Billilimbra bv A. Gilmore. and There is little information available on the distribution and biology of P. oralis. Although Previous published information on the body two specimens were found in the 1840s it was dimensions of this species has been based on not until 1969 that other specimens were one or only a few individuals (Watts and Aslin recognized (Watts and Aslin 1981). To date the 1981; Kirkpatrick 1983; Dickman and total number of captured individuals is at least McKechnie 1985). The range in head plus 150. More than 70 per cent of these have been body length given by these authors is captured since 1985, due to the increased 130-170 mm and the tail length slightly number of surveys specifically for this species. shorter; hind-foot length 30-34 mm; and mass Pseudomys oralis is known from widely 90-100 g. However, there is information based separated localities and the new locations on more individuals from several unpublished reported here indicate that their distribution is reports in files and libraries of the Forestry more continuous than previously thought, Commission of NSW at Coffs Harbour, New- albeit in very low densities (Map 1). The species castle, and Pennant Hills (Read 1988, 1989a, was found in creeks and gullies, but some sites 1989b). were in open forest with a grassy understorey. In this paper I report measurements taken Sedges, mainly Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, on 45 live adult individuals that I captured were present at all sites. The photographs during the period 1987-93, including those in show some of the habitats and capture sites of Read (1988, 1989a, 1989b) (Table 2). Females P. oralis. In the Mount Royal State Forest two with a mass of 55 g had perforated vaginas and individuals were caught within a small patch of this mass was used as the lower limit for classifi- sedges which was approximately 8 m X 15 m cation as adults. Body measurements followed in area. Sites in this state forest occur in the definitions in Watts and Aslin (1981) with terraces, in gullies and on ridges between the minor change that the head plus body gullies. length (HBL) was taken from the nose tip to The July 1993 captures of the Hastings the tail base (measured dorsally) and not the River Mouse in the Mount Royal State Forest total length minus the tail length (TL). I extend its known range within this region by included the head length (HL) as the length more than 4 krn northwards into the Davis from the nose tip to the occipital at the back of Australian Zoologist, Val. 29(1-2) 117 :*YZ Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article-pdf/29/1-2/117/1475234/az_1993_014.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 Fip'.I (nfie1,p1.Hasrinss River IIouse. This adult -lakine:r fem:rleI'eishcd 89 g. She Fig 2 (aboi,e). heacllcngth nteasul-ellcllt. fhc long soft fLrr.its \{its captrlrecl in the Clourls Clreek State Forest in an oDen fot.est open fluffl lexture,:rncl its clzrrkgr-er,coloration to the basal two- l'ith a gl'assvunderstorcv grorrn{l. on flat Clirntps of ieclsesare thirds of thc hair-shafts at.eet.iclent in this photoeraph. firuncl scatterecl through thc gr:rss\, erounclcover. (I'hotog|aph: N{ichelleThornpson.) (Photograph: \'Iichelle Thompson. ) I:tg- 3 (aboi't). Tl're heacl plus boclv lenctlr is tire most rlifllctrlt ro meilsLrreon :l lire Hastillgs Rivcr NIcltrsc.Itr comtnon rgith clther merlber-s of tlre gerrus Pseudonls,tlie t;ril can not be pulle(l becauscthc skin rerr casilt Irrcak--s:rrrcl stripsofl. lea'ing the ra*'flesh of the tail. I-hisr.v tail tlics :r.cl rh,,ps.ff' lea'r'g a st.m1t, Care is takc'n'lre. pulli'g o'thc hirrrllegs t,, hririg rhe sprne into a srr-aightline. phoroeraph: \Iichclle Thontspon.; Fig'.I (abot,e1.I'l.rc author-ueighing a H:rstingsRiver Nlouse -fltc in a pl;rsticbas. surlounclins grass is tr'pical of P. orali.shabitat in ClloudsClrcek Statc !-orest (l'hotoer:rlth: \lichelle Thonrlrson.) Itig. 5 (ltft1. .,\ rnalc Hastines River Nftnsc (99 g.) phoro- grapherl in its habit:rt besicle[]r'land (lreck, Blicks I{iver t-kx:r Rcserve.The pr,,1t,,rti"nirll\ J:rr-grtestes :rre evirlent. 11B AustralianZoologist, Vol. 29(1-2) August1993 Map 1. The region of easternAustralia that contains the extant ^fhe distribution of Pseud,omysoralis. area below 500 m elevation is shaded grey. Placesnumbered on the map are referred to in the following table which shows the dates when individuals were caught, the vicinity and source of the data. Date Place month/ No. year Vicinity Source I n.a./1969 Main Range N.P. Kirkpatrick and Martin (r971) 2 n.a./1969 Swan Creek Kirkpatrick and Martin ( le7 l) 3 n.a./1969 Emu Vale S.F. Kirkpatrick and Martin (197r) n.a./I969 Gambubal S.F. Kirkpatrick and Martin (r97l) Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/australian-zoologist/article-pdf/29/1-2/117/1475234/az_1993_014.pdf by guest on 29 September 2021 8/1993 Gambubal S.F. S. Phillips, pers.comm. 4 +10/1981Werrikimbe N.P. 1,.Gibson, pers.comm. 2n982 Werrikimbe N.P. King ( I984) +I0/1984 Werrikimbe N.P. S. Phillips,pers. comm. *3/199I Werrikimbe N.P. S. Wilkes, pers.comm. 5 10/1982 Blicks River F.R. King (I984) l0,r1/1984 Hyland S.F. T. Tweedie, pers.com. *2/1985 Blicks River F.R. G. King, pers.comm. 6 l0/r984 Mount Royal S.F. Dickman and McKechnie (1985) li 1988 Mount Royal S.F. Read(1988) 711989 Mount Royal S.F. Read (1989a) 7 r2n984 ForestLand S.F. King and Mackowski ( I 986) 2/1985 ForestLand S.F. King and Mackowski ( l 986) 8 2/1985 Marengo S.F. King and Mackowski ( I 986) 12t1987 Marengo S.F. Read (1988) I 12/1985 Werrikimbe N.P. S. Phillips,pers. comm. 10 10/1987 Chaelundi S.F. P. Catling, pers.comm. 5/I 988 Chaelundi S.F. P. Catling, pers.comm. I l r I/1987 Blicks River F.R. Read(1988) l0/1988 Blicks River F.R. D. Read,unpubl. data 7/1989 Blicks River F.R. Read (1989b) 12 7/1989 Wild Cattle Creek T. Tweedie, pers. comm. S.F. 13 7/t990 Chaelundi S.F. This paper *8/1992 Chaelundi S.F. S. Phillips, pers.comm. 7n993 Chaelundi S.F. T. Tweedie, pers.comm. 14 *9/1990 Dalmorton S.F. A. Gilmore, pers.comm. l5 *10/1990 Billilimbra S.F. A. Gilmore, pers.comm. 6/1991 Billilimbra S.F. This paper *7/ t99l Billilimbra S.F. S. Phillips, pers.comm. rl l/1992 Billilimbra S.F. S. Townley, pers.comm. 16 r2lr990 Clouds Creek S.F. T. Tweedie, pers. comm. 2/r99r Clouds Creek S.F. This paper 17 2tr99r Timber Reserve P. Catling, pers. comm. No.80004 18 2lt99r Carrai S.F. P. Catling, pers.comm. 19 2lr99r Werrikimbe N.P. P. Catling, pers.comm. 7t1993 Werrikimbe N.P. P. Catling, pers.comm. 20 3/199r Mount Royal S.F. Shieldsetal.(1991) 21 8/1992 Carrai (Crown This paper Land) *3/1993 Carrai (Crown A. Gilmore, pers.comm. Land) 22 711993 Hyland S.F. T. Tweedie, pers.comm. 23 711993 Mount Royal S.F. This paper 24 711993 Mount Royal S.F. This paper *Data obtained from the data base held by the National Parks and Wildlife Seroice of New South Wales.