Australian Biological Resources Study

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CAVS: 1421

Species Mesembriomys gouldii (J.E. Gray, 1843)

Black-footed Tree-rat

Generic Combinations

  • Mesembriomys gouldii (J.E. Gray, 1843).

 

Introduction

Mahoney (1988: 163) listed synonyms under M. gouldii rather than subspecies.

 

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia


Note that conversion of the original AFD map of states, drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones to IBRA and IMCRA regions may have produced errors. The new maps will be reviewed and corrected as updates occur. The maps may not indicate the entire distribution. See further details below.
IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)
drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones (map not available)

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Kimberley (CK), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pine Creek (PCK), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

  • Australia
    • Northern Territory: N Gulf, N coastal
    • Queensland: N Gulf, NE coastal
    • Western Australia: N coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Folivore, frugivorous, open forest, terrestrial, woodland.

Extra Ecological Information

Diet supplemented by invertebrates such as termites and molluscs.

 

General References

Baverstock, P.R., Watts, C.H.S., Adams, M. & Cole, S.R. 1981. Genetical relationships among Australian rodents (Muridae). Australian Journal of Zoology 29: 289-303

Baverstock, P.R., Watts, C.H.S. & Hogarth, J.T. 1977. Chromosome evolution in Australian rodents I. The Pseudomyinae, the Hydromyinae and the Uromys/Melomys Group. Chromosoma (Berlin) 61: 95-125

Braithwaite, R.W. 1989. Shelter selection by a small mammal community in the wet-dry tropics of Australia. Australian Mammalogy 12: 55-59

Braithwaite, R.W. & Muller, W.J. 1997. Rainfall, groundwater and refuges: predicting extinctions of Australian tropical mammal species. Australian Journal of Ecology 22: 57-67

Crichton, E.G. 1969. Reproduction in the pseudomyine rodent Mesembriomys gouldii (Gray) (Muridae). Australian Journal of Zoology 17: 785-797

Finlayson, H.H. 1961. A re-examination of Mesembriomys hirsutus Gould 1842 (Muridae). Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 84: 149-162 pls 1-3

Friend, G.R. 1987. Population ecology of Mesembriomys gouldii (Rodentia: Muridae) in the wet-dry tropics of the Northern Territory. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 293-303

Friend, G.R. & Calaby, J.H. 1995. Black-footed Tree-rat Mesembriomys gouldii. pp. 564-566 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.

Friend, G.R. & Taylor, J.A. 1985. Habitat preferences of small mammals in tropical open-forest of the Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Ecology 10: 173-185

Griffiths, A.D., Koenig, J., Carrol, F. & Price, O. 2002. Activity area and day-time tree use of the black-footed tree-rat Mesembriomys gouldii. Australian Mammalogy 23: 181-183

Lee, A.K. 1995. The Action Plan for Australian Rodents. Canberra : Australian Nature Conservation Agency 62 pp.

Mahoney, J.A. in Walton, D.W. (ed.) 1988. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Volume 5. Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service x 274 pp. [Date published 13/Apr/1988]

Watts, C.H.S. 1982. Australian hydromyine rodents: maintenance of captive colonies. pp. 180-184 in Evans, D.D. (ed.). The Management of Australian Mammals in Captivity. Proceedings of the Scientific Meeting of the Australian Mammal Society, Healesville, Victoria, February 1979. Melbourne : Zoological Board of Victoria 194 pp.

Watts, C.H.S. & Aslin, H.J. 1981. The Rodents of Australia. Sydney : Angus & Robertson xii 321 pp. 16 pls.

Wheeler, J. 1982. Notes on the black-footed tree rat in a modified environment. Northern Territory Naturalist 5: 8-9

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
04-Feb-2023 10-Dec-2010 MOVED
10-Dec-2010 06-Dec-2010 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)