A Pookila, with it's distinguishing bicoloured tail, large eyes and soft thick fur.
Pookila (pseudomys novaehollandiae) is a small, terrestrial burrowing native rodent found in south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania.
They're listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) 1999. Sadly, they're considered extinct in seven of 12 known Victorian locations, with surviving populations increasingly under threat from drought and predation by feral cats and foxes.
The name pookila (pronounced: poo-kee-lah) is derived from the Ngarigo word for ‘mouse’ – bugila – and was adopted in 1995 as an Indigenous name for the species. It was formerly known as the new holland mouse.
It's been found in a wide range of structural vegetation communities, such as heathland, woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and vegetated dunes (Wilson & Laidlaw, 2003).
Our Dutson Downs biodiversity site is a known location for the species. We're part of a breeding and reintroduction program to help improve the resilience of remaining Pookila populations.
Pookila trapping as part of a survey at Dutson Downs.
