Overview

Australia's native rodents are the most ecologically diverse family of Australian mammals. There are about 60 living species - all within the subfamily Murinae - representing around 25 per cent of all species of Australian mammals. They range in size from the very small delicate mouse to the highly specialised, arid-adapted hopping mouse, the large tree rat and the carnivorous water rat. Native Mice and Rats describes the evolution and ecology of this much-neglected group of animals. It details the diversity of their reproductive biology, their dietary adaptations and social behaviour. The book also includes information on rodent parasites and diseases, and concludes by outlining the changes in distribution of the various species since the arrival of Europeans as well as current conservation programs.

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9780643091665

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The coverage of these topics is up-to-date and authoritative and there is a sense that many observations come from the first hand experience of the two authors. A novel scheme is introduced that places the Old Endemic rodents into a series of informal groups.

As most species are quite small and nocturnal, finding enough information for 14 pages on social organisation is definitely laudable. Apart from that, no single chapter shall be mentioned - all are worth reading! --Udo Ganslosser, Australian Mammalogy

There are about 60 living species of mice and rats in Australia and New Zealand, representing the most ecologically diverse mammals of the region. Breed (reproductive biology, Australian native mammals, U. of Adelaide) and Ford, a highly experienced trapper and scholar of Australian wildlife examine the animals of the sub-family murinae, describing about 25 percent of all species of Australian mammals. They include everything from the very small delicate mouse to large (frightfully large, actually) tree rat, various common field mice and even the infamous the carnivorous water rat. They cover the animals' evolution, ecology, diversity, reproductive biology, dietary adaptations, social behavior and migration, with close attention to rodent parasites and diseases, features of gastrointestinal tracts, distribution of the various species since the arrival of Europeans, and conservation programs. The full-color and monochrome photos and line drawings are well-chosen, and the maps are very helpful.

Author Information

Bill Breed

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