Also known as the New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae), the pookila is about the size of a small chocolate bar, weighing less than 20 grams. These mice spend their nights foraging for seeds and fungi, and their days tucked away in a burrow. <\/p>\n
We don\u2019t yet understand what the pookila\u2019s preferred habitat is in Queensland. But these mice can be found in patches<\/a> along the east coast of Australia, from Queensland down to New South Wales, Victoria and Flinders Island in Tasmania. <\/p>\n Read more: However, this little mouse is under the pressures<\/a> of habitat destruction, climate change and predators, among others. These threats have lead to declines and local extinctions<\/a> in southern pookila populations.<\/p>\n In the past, pookila have been found incidentally at ten locations in southeast Queensland. But these surveys, many of which were conducted several years ago, weren\u2019t solely focused on searching for pookila.<\/p>\n For our new study<\/a>, we visited most of these sites over a 31-month period to better understand how pookila are living and what threats they are facing. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we found.<\/p>\n Pursuing the pookila<\/p>\n To find the elusive pookila, we revisited seven locations west of Brisbane in southeast Queensland where they had been previously found.<\/p>\n At each site, we camped out for four to five nights at a time. And over our nearly three-year study, we set a total of 10,666 traps.<\/p>\n Each afternoon, we\u2019d set out with our trusty box traps and a healthy supply of peanut butter balls \u2013 a commonly used enticing snack for small mammals. We then identified suitable spots to place the traps, ideally where we might find different types of native rodents. We covered each trap with leaf litter, and placed a delectable peanut butter ball inside.<\/p>\n Read more: The next morning, we\u2019d return to those same traps, crossing all fingers we\u2019d caught some mice. On some days, the rodents were everywhere. Other days, there were no mice in sight. We worked in all sorts of weather, sometimes basking in sunshine and sometimes powering through drenching rain. On particularly wet mornings, all we could do was trudge back to our tents, soaked and exhausted. <\/p>\n But every now and then, the cheeky resident possums would locate our stash of peanut butter balls and steal them right from out of our traps. That made us smile, or cry.<\/p>\n We repeated this process of setting and checking traps over 31 months, all in search of a tiny native mouse.<\/p>\n During that time, we only found and trapped a single pookila.<\/p>\n We measured each rodent, including this juvenile bush rat, to help identify what species it belongs to. So, where are they all?<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to know exactly what happened to Queensland\u2019s pookila population. Since 1996, only around 125<\/a> of these mice have been captured in Queensland. So we currently lack the data needed to understand how the species has fared over time.<\/p>\n But our findings suggest pookila may be facing local declines in Queensland. These mice may also be becoming harder to find because specific populations are shrinking or changing where they are living. Queensland\u2019s pookila could also be facing similar threats to their southern counterparts, including habitat destruction and climate change. Indeed, it may be a combination of all the above.<\/p>\n In any case, our results raise serious concerns about the pookila\u2019s long-term survival in both Queensland and across the country.<\/p>\n This is why continued monitoring is crucial. Resurveying our study sites, and other sites across Queensland, will help us track any trends in pookila population numbers. And if we catch more individual mice, we can learn about the species\u2019 preferred habitat and unpack what factors may be driving local declines. We can also identify what conservation actions will be most effective, such as undertaking planned burns<\/a> to restore habitat.<\/p>\n The eastern chestnut mouse is another native rodent species we encountered. Other animal encounters<\/p>\n While pursuing the pookila, we encountered several other native rodent species. These include the endangered Hastings River mouse<\/a> (Pseudomys oralis), graceful eastern chestnut mouse<\/a> (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus) and stocky swamp rats<\/a> (Rattus lutreolus).<\/p>\n Native rodents are a crucial, but often overlooked, part of Australia\u2019s ecosystems. They fill various ecological roles, including helping plants and fungi reproduce by scattering seed and spores<\/a> and aerating the soil<\/a> by burrowing and foraging. <\/p>\n Our data could tell us more about how Queensland\u2019s other native rodent populations are changing over time, and how we can better protect them.<\/p>\n
\n Meet 5 of Australia\u2019s tiniest mammals, who tread a tightrope between life and death every night<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Why don\u2019t people care about Australia\u2019s native rodents? The problem could be their ugly names<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260720-57-krnehc.JPG\")
<\/p>\n
\n Abby Dennien<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260720-57-s7vrbg.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Meg Edwards<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260720-57-ki77uv.JPG\")
<\/p>\n