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Heath Mouse (Pseudomys shortridgei)

The heath mouse, Pseudomys shortridgei, is a stocky native rodent restricted to fragmented populations in south-western Western Australia, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Victoria. It depends on floristically diverse heath, scrub and heathy woodland with dense ground cover, so clearing, inappropriate fire, fragmentation and disturbance can remove habitat or interrupt dispersal on development sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The pattern below applies broadly across the range, but fire response and local breeding timing vary between regions. Breeding is generally recorded from September to February, while movement by young is linked to habitat productivity and the availability of suitable patches.

Months are January to December. The sources do not provide a precise monthly peak for births, dispersal or movement, so these periods should be confirmed with local records, rainfall, fire history and targeted survey.

  • Breeding: Breeding occurs in late spring and summer, generally September to February. Adults form pairs and produce one or two litters during the breeding season.
  • Young: Young are produced during the breeding season and may disperse after weaning. Juvenile survival is higher where vegetation productivity is high and dense cover is available.
  • Movement and dispersal: Young disperse when local habitat becomes less productive. Dispersal is more successful where a mosaic of vegetation patches of different maturity is available.
  • Food and shelter shift: After autumn rain, underground fungi become an important food. As vegetation matures, animals may move to more productive habitat patches, with the timing varying with rainfall and fire age.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and major disturbance are most likely to harm the species from September to February because breeding and dependent young may be present. Habitat loss can affect the species in every month, including outside the breeding season.

Identification

The heath mouse is a relatively large, thickset native mouse with a blunt face and a hairy, two-coloured tail. It is ground dwelling and may be detected in dense heath by trapping, hair sampling or signs around runways, nests and shallow burrows.

Adults have a stocky body, relatively large head, blunt face, bulging eyes and large rounded ears. The upper coat is brown to grey brown with black guard hairs, giving a brindled or flecked appearance. The underparts are pale grey or white, and the upper surfaces of the feet have long grey hairs.

Head and body: 90 to 120 mm

Tail: 80 to 110 mm, hairy, non-annulated and dark above with a pale to white underside

Weight: 55 to 90 g

Feet: Covered with relatively long grey hairs on the upper surface

Identification: Distinguishing features

The tail is shorter than the combined head and body length and is furred rather than sparsely haired and ringed. The dark upper surface and pale underside of the tail help separate the heath mouse from the bush rat, Rattus fuscipes, which has a pinkish brown tail.

The heath mouse may overlap with the swamp rat, Rattus lutreolus, and the broad-toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus. Its long grey foot hairs contrast with the shorter brown foot fur of those species. It is smaller and more thickset than the bush rat, while its tail is shorter relative to the body than that of the smoky mouse, Pseudomys fumeus.

Identification: Signs and detection

The species uses well-defined runways through dense ground cover and establishes surface nests or shallow burrows. In Western Australia, underground burrows with entrances hidden under shrubs are reported as common refuges. It may also use existing lizard or rabbit burrows in Victoria.

No diagnostic call, track, scat, eye shine or slough is described in the supplied sources. Field confirmation should therefore rely on an experienced identification of a captured animal, specialist identification of hair samples, or a combination of habitat assessment and targeted survey.

  • Search dense heath and shrub bases for narrow runways, concealed burrow entrances and surface nests during daytime habitat inspections.
  • Use hair tubes or hair funnels where appropriate. The heath mouse is one of the listed small mammals for which identification from a reasonable hair sample is possible.
  • Use Elliott A or E trapping as a primary targeted method, with pitfall trapping considered only where the habitat allows safe installation and operation.

Distribution: National range

The heath mouse is endemic to Australia and now occurs as widely separated western and eastern population groups. Current records are concentrated in protected areas and remnant native vegetation in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.

The current range includes southern and south-western Western Australia, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Victoria. In Western Australia, records include the southern wheatbelt and south coast, including the Ravensthorpe Range, Fitzgerald River National Park, Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve and Lake Magenta Nature Reserve.

In Victoria, the species occurs in the Grampians Range and Lower Glenelg National Park. In South Australia, records include the Lower Glenelg River Conservation Park, Dry Creek Native Forest Reserve and Honeysuckle Native Forest Reserve. A 1967 record from Kangaroo Island has not been confirmed by later surveys, and its current status there is unknown.

  • Western Australia: southern wheatbelt, Ravensthorpe Range, Fitzgerald River National Park, Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve and Lake Magenta Nature Reserve.
  • South Australia: south-east, including the Lower Glenelg area and named native forest reserves; historic records also extend across Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and near Adelaide.
  • Victoria: Grampians National Park and Lower Glenelg National Park, with historic records in the Wimmera and woodland west of Casterton.

Distribution: Strongholds and population structure

The Grampians National Park is considered a stronghold in Victoria. Lake Magenta Nature Reserve and Fitzgerald River National Park are important Western Australian sites, although monitoring has recorded decline at Lake Magenta. The South Australian subpopulations are severely fragmented and are largely isolated from Victorian populations.

Genetic studies identify highly divergent western and eastern lineages on either side of the Nullarbor Plain, although no subspecies are formally recognised.

Distribution: Population size and trend

The population is declining and the range has contracted. Evidence includes lower recapture rates and failure to detect the species at some sites where it was previously recorded. The available evidence does not support a reliable estimate of total population size or the rate of decline.

EPBC Act status: Endangered, transferred from Vulnerable effective 7 December 2016

Estimated area of occupancy: 328 km² from records dated 1996 to 2016; another assessment estimated 316 km²

Estimated extent of occurrence: 337,570 km², calculated from a minimum convex hull

Lake Magenta estimate: Approximately 4,000 individuals were estimated in 2008, but this is not a current whole-species estimate

Generation length: Approximately two years

Population pattern: Numbers can fluctuate strongly with rainfall and productivity; Grampians monitoring recorded more than a tenfold increase from 2008 to 2012 followed by a fivefold decrease from 2012 to 2014

Habitat: Habitat types

The heath mouse occupies floristically diverse, structurally complex heath and heathy woodland. Habitat suitability depends on dense ground cover, food-producing understorey and a suitable mix of vegetation ages after fire.

The species frequently occurs in species-rich dry heathland, open woodland and open forest with a heath understorey. Western Australian records are mainly from species-rich heath, mixed scrub and mallee. South Australian records include open brown stringybark woodland with a grass tree understorey.

  • Dry heathland with high plant diversity and dense, structurally complex understorey.
  • Brown stringybark and desert stringybark open woodland or open forest with a heathy understorey.
  • Mixed scrub and mallee in southern Western Australia.
  • Open brown stringybark woodland with Xanthorrhoea australis understorey in South Australia.

Habitat: Vegetation age and structure

Fire age preferences differ between regions. In Victoria, heath mice are most often found in species-rich dry heath burnt within the previous 5 to 15 years, and in heathy woodland up to about 25 years after fire. In Western Australia, they have mainly been trapped in mature heath or scrub, with no records from vegetation less than 10 years after fire and high densities reported around 30 years after fire.

A patchwork of vegetation ages supports colonisation, dispersal and access to food. Uniformly young vegetation after a large fire, or uniformly old and unproductive vegetation, can reduce habitat suitability.

Typical Victorian heath age: About 5 to 15 years after fire

Older Victorian heathy woodland: Used up to about 25 years after fire

Western Australian heath: Often mature or long unburnt, with high densities reported about 30 years after fire

Unsuitable young vegetation in Western Australia: The species has not been located in vegetation less than 10 years after fire

Habitat: Climate and site limits

The species responds strongly to rainfall and primary productivity. Abundance can rise after high rainfall and fall to very low densities during drought. No elevation limit is given in the supplied sources.

  • Treat floristically diverse heath and heathy woodland as potential habitat even where recent records are absent.
  • Retain dense ground cover and connected native vegetation around known or potential habitat.
  • Map fire age, vegetation structure and habitat links before clearing or construction.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The heath mouse is a generalist herbivore that feeds across the dense understorey and ground layer. Food availability changes as vegetation regenerates after fire and with seasonal rainfall.

In late spring and summer, the diet includes flowers, seeds and berries. At the end of summer, the species feeds on stems, roots and leaves of grasses, sedges and lilies. After autumn rain, it feeds on truffle-like underground fungi. Other sources also describe fruit and occasional insects as part of the broader diet.

  • Flowers, seeds and berries during late spring and summer.
  • Stems, roots and leaves of grasses, sedges and lilies as summer food declines.
  • Truffle-like fungi after autumn rain.
  • Fruit and occasional insects, as reported in the survey profile.

Foraging habitat: Foraging habitat and range

Foraging habitat is floristically diverse heath or heathy woodland capable of providing food through the year. The species uses dense ground cover and established runways between feeding areas and shelter.

The home range is associated with food productivity. Radio tracking indicates that an individual home range may be as large as 5.5 ha, with similar home ranges reported for males, females, adults and juveniles.

Maximum reported home range: Up to 5.5 ha

Food distribution: Food is associated with species-rich, productive understorey and varies with season, rainfall and fire age

  • Retain flowering and seeding understorey, sedges, lilies, grasses and fungal habitat within the disturbance footprint where practicable.
  • Avoid clearing isolated food patches that are connected to dense cover or shelter.
  • Assess food plants and ground cover across the full proposed clearing area, not only at recent capture points.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs when food is available in late spring and summer. Adults form pairs during the breeding season, and young depend on dense cover and connected habitat for survival and dispersal.

Adults form pairs that remain together for the approximately four-month breeding season. One or two litters are produced, usually with three young in each litter. Young are thought to become reproductively mature at about one year of age.

Breeding season: Late spring and summer, generally September to February

Pairing: Adults form pairs during the breeding season

Litters: One or two litters per breeding season

Litter size: Usually about three young

Age at maturity: About one year

Longevity: Unlikely to exceed four years; captive animals have lived up to five years

Gestation: Not stated in the supplied sources

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat

Breeding habitat includes dense, structurally complex heath, heathy woodland and scrub with surface nests or shallow burrows. Productive vegetation supports juvenile survival, while connected patches of different maturity provide routes for dispersing young.

In Victoria, breeding may occur in heathland colonised a few years after fire and in older heathy woodland. In Western Australia, breeding habitat is more often mature or long unburnt heath and scrub.

  • Retain dense ground cover around nests, burrows and runways.
  • Avoid clearing connected habitat during the September to February breeding and dependent young period where practicable.
  • Maintain a mix of vegetation ages rather than creating large areas of one fire age.

Sheltering habitat: Refuges

The heath mouse shelters close to the ground in dense vegetation. It uses surface nests, shallow burrows and, in some Victorian sites, existing burrows made by other animals.

The species establishes surface nests or shallow burrows among dense ground cover. Western Australian animals commonly use underground burrows with entrances concealed beneath shrubs. In Victoria, the species is assumed to use burrows and has been recorded using lizard and rabbit burrows for shelter.

  • Inspect shrub bases and dense heath for concealed burrow entrances.
  • Inspect existing lizard and rabbit burrows before earthworks or vegetation removal.
  • Retain dense shrubs, grass, sedge and heath cover around known shelter sites.

Sheltering habitat: Runways and cover

Well-defined runways connect feeding areas, nests and burrows through dense ground cover. Loss of cover can expose animals to predators and reduce movement between habitat patches, especially after fire or clearing.

  • Mark and protect dense ground cover and visible runways during site preparation.
  • Use fauna spotter catchers and staged clearing where occupied habitat or shelter sites are present.
  • Do not place spoil, materials, access tracks or equipment over burrow entrances or dense refuge patches before inspection.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are clearing and fragmentation of heath and heathy woodland, loss of dense cover, inappropriate fire and increased exposure to introduced predators. Because populations are small, isolated and capable of large rainfall related fluctuations, local habitat loss can have effects beyond the immediate clearing footprint.

Historic clearing for agriculture and industry has removed and fragmented habitat across the range. The species cannot persist outside natural bush and requires large areas of vegetation. Fragmentation limits dispersal and genetic exchange and increases the risk of local extinction.

  • Avoid clearing species-rich heath, mature scrub, mallee and heathy stringybark woodland.
  • Retain links between habitat patches and avoid narrow isolated remnants where alternatives exist.
  • Survey all native vegetation within and beside the proposed disturbance area, including potential habitat without recent records.

Threats: Fire and construction disturbance

The species requires particular post-fire vegetation ages, but those ages differ between regions. Frequent or intense fire, repeated fires during drought, large uniform burns and loss of dense cover can reduce habitat and increase predation. Fire operations can also physically or chemically damage animals and habitat.

  • Map fire history before works and avoid treating all heath as having the same fire requirement.
  • Keep a high proportion of habitat in suitable post-fire age classes and retain unburnt refuge patches during fire operations.
  • Prevent fire retardant, machinery movement and other fire response activities from damaging known habitat or shelter sites.

Threats: Predators, weeds and disease

Feral cats and foxes are suspected predators across the range. Loss of dense vegetation after fire can increase predation. Fox control may also increase cat abundance or increase terrestrial foraging by brushtail possums, creating additional pressure.

Invasive plants such as golden wattle, radiata pine, bluebell creeper, bitou bush and bridal creeper can simplify the understorey and alter soil nutrients. Phytophthora cinnamomi may cause dieback of heathland plants and reduce the structurally complex habitat on which the species depends.

  • Control weeds using methods that do not damage retained heath mouse habitat.
  • Prevent the movement of soil, gravel and plant material that could spread Phytophthora into susceptible heath.
  • Coordinate fox and cat control with site managers and assess possible increases in cat or brushtail possum impacts.

Threats: Rainfall and climate

Abundance follows a boom and bust pattern linked to rainfall and primary productivity. Drought lowers density, reduces juvenile survival and can prevent recovery after fire. A drying climate is expected to increase drought pressure and may increase the effect of predation.

  • Avoid assuming that a low capture rate means habitat is unsuitable, particularly during drought.
  • Interpret survey results with recent rainfall, fire history and vegetation productivity.
  • Protect connected habitat so animals can move between patches as food availability changes.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Survey the full range of suitable heath mouse habitat before works, with effort focused on floristically diverse heath, heathy stringybark woodland, mixed scrub and mallee. Use more than one detection method because abundance can be very low during drought and the species can fluctuate markedly with rainfall and fire history.

Use vegetation mapping, habitat modelling, aerial photography and field inspection to identify suitable habitat and a mosaic of post fire vegetation ages.

Search for dense ground cover, well defined runways, surface nests, shallow burrows and other shelter sites across each representative habitat unit.

Give particular attention to species rich dry heath, heathy stringybark woodland, mixed scrub and mallee. In Victoria, assess heath burnt about 5 to 15 years ago and heathy woodland up to 25 years post fire. In Western Australia, also target mature heath and scrub that has been unburnt for about 30 years.

Plan transects 50 to 100 metres apart, or use quadrats in representative habitats, and ground truth the planned sampling locations.

For a 5 hectare area, allow about 2 hours for each hectare of stratified survey site, combining the habitat search with searches for signs of fauna activity.

Repeat the sampling within each vegetation type or plant community when the study area is larger than 5 hectares.

Survey methodology: 2. Elliott trapping

Use Elliott A or E trapping as a primary detection method in suitable ground habitat.

Use a stratified design that targets species rich heath and heathy woodland, with additional sites in mixed scrub and mallee where those habitats occur.

Conduct trapping when animals are active, principally from late afternoon through the night and into the early morning, and avoid interpreting a negative result during drought as proof of absence.

The supplied species profile does not specify a fixed number of trap nights, trap spacing or trap lines, so document the number of traps, spacing, nights, weather, bait, trap checks and habitat strata used, and replicate effort between habitat units.

Survey methodology: 3. Hair sampling devices

Use hair tubes or hair funnels as a non invasive supplementary method because heath mouse hair can be distinguished from samples of several other listed mammals.

Bait devices with rolled oats, peanut butter, honey and optional pistachio nut oil.

Set devices for several consecutive days and send collected inserts to an appropriately qualified specialist for identification.

Record the device type, location, deployment dates, bait, number of sampling days and identification result.

Treat hair sampling as a detection method rather than an abundance estimate, because the guidelines describe low detection rates for some hair tube applications.

Survey methodology: 4. Other supporting methods

Search for tracks, nests, burrows and scats during the daytime habitat assessment where ground conditions allow signs to be detected.

Collect predator scats, owl casts or remains from predator nests and dens where this can be done safely and lawfully, and submit material for specialist identification where appropriate.

Use pitfall traps only where habitat and soil conditions allow safe installation, with a recommended trap depth of 60 centimetres and suitable protection, checking and fauna welfare controls.

Use survey results from the full range of methods together with fire age, rainfall conditions and recent records when assessing whether habitat is occupied.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Survey every suitable habitat unit and every proposed disturbance area, rather than relying on one site wide sample.
  • For areas up to 5 hectares, use the species specific combination of habitat assessment, hair sampling and Elliott trapping, with pitfall trapping considered where suitable.
  • For areas larger than 5 hectares, replicate sampling within habitat types or plant communities.
  • Record survey dates, observers, weather, recent rainfall, fire age, trap or device effort, habitat description, GPS locations, photographs and all detections or evidence of absence.
  • Submit confirmed records, including reliable non detections where required by the database, to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records to the project approval authority.
  • Report any proposed clearing or disturbance of occupied or potentially occupied habitat through the project environmental assessment and approval process.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat species rich heath and heathy woodland as potential heath mouse habitat wherever the project occurs in Victoria, South Australia or Western Australia. The species is nationally listed as Endangered and its remaining populations are fragmented, so avoid clearing and maintain links between retained habitat patches.

Avoid clearing occupied heath mouse habitat, known runways, nests, shallow burrows and dense ground cover where practicable.

Retain connected patches of heath, heathy stringybark woodland, mixed scrub and mallee, including vegetation of different post fire ages.

Retain habitat that can support year round food, including grasses, sedges, lilies, flowers, seeds, berries and underground fungi.

Keep construction access, stockpiles, spoil, vehicle parking and compounds out of retained habitat and out of routes that could provide dispersal between patches.

Do not treat a retained patch as adequate if it is isolated by clearing, roads, wide easements or heavy weed invasion.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the EPBC Act status before works because the heath mouse is listed nationally as Endangered.

Check the relevant Victorian, South Australian or Western Australian fauna legislation, permits and approval conditions before trapping, handling, relocating or clearing habitat.

Refer the action under the EPBC Act where the proposed action may have a significant impact on the species or its habitat.

Prepare a fauna management plan that maps habitat, retained areas, access routes, exclusion zones, survey effort, stop work triggers, handling arrangements and reporting contacts.

Stage clearing so that retained habitat and connected refuge areas remain available while each work area is inspected and cleared.

Before habitat disturbance: Timing and site preparation

Plan works outside the September to February breeding period where practicable, because breeding is generally recorded from late spring and summer and adults may form pairs and produce one or two litters.

Schedule pre clearance surveys when survey conditions are suitable and document recent rainfall, drought and fire history because abundance responds strongly to rainfall and post fire productivity.

Mark retained heath, dense ground cover, runways, burrows, nests, logs and other shelter features before machinery enters the site.

Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and no go areas where fencing will not entrap animals or block required movement paths.

Brief machinery operators and the fauna spotter catcher on the mapped exclusion zones, access direction, clearing sequence, communication method and emergency stop signal.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use a staged, supervised clearing process. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to see the active work area, direct machinery and stop work immediately when an animal, shelter feature or unexpected habitat risk is identified.

Inspect exclusion fencing, gates, signage and retained habitat before work starts each day.

Keep machinery within the approved clearing footprint and use the lowest practical speed when working beside retained heath or dense ground cover.

Clear progressively towards retained habitat where this is consistent with the approved fauna management plan, giving animals an opportunity to move into safe habitat.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with the operator and stop machinery when visibility is obstructed or the spotter catcher is not in a safe position to supervise.

Do not commence clearing during conditions that prevent effective supervision, such as poor visibility, uncontrolled smoke or unsafe fire response operations.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and unexpected finds

Inspect dense ground cover, surface nests, shallow burrows, runways, logs, rocks and scrub before they are disturbed.

Avoid crushing or filling burrows and nests until the fauna spotter catcher has checked them and the approved method allows disturbance.

Retain logs, rocks and dense vegetation in retained habitat wherever practicable, and move any approved salvage material carefully to nearby suitable habitat.

Do not use fire retardants, machinery wash down, herbicide or spoil placement in retained habitat unless specifically approved and managed to prevent habitat degradation.

Stop work and reassess if clearing reveals additional species rich heath, a connected habitat patch, a nest or burrow, or evidence of an occupied site.

During habitat disturbance: If a heath mouse is found

Stop machinery and isolate the immediate work area when a heath mouse is seen, trapped or found injured.

Allow an uninjured animal to move into nearby retained suitable habitat where it can do so safely and without being chased.

Do not handle the animal unless the person is authorised, trained and acting under the relevant permit and fauna management plan.

Use an appropriately ventilated holding container only for the shortest period needed to protect the animal or complete an authorised relocation.

Relocate an animal only to nearby retained habitat that provides dense cover and is connected to the retained patch, following the approval conditions and advice of the relevant wildlife authority.

Take an injured animal promptly to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer, and record the chain of custody and outcome.

Do not release an animal into recently cleared, exposed or unsuitable habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Stop work and records

  • Stop work for any confirmed heath mouse detection within the active clearing area until the fauna spotter catcher and project environmental officer agree on the response.
  • Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, machinery enters a no go area, an animal is injured, or the approved clearing sequence cannot be followed.
  • Record the date, time, GPS location, habitat, fire age if known, weather, observer, identification evidence, photographs, action taken and final outcome for every detection.
  • Record daily clearing area, machinery used, spotter catcher attendance, habitat features disturbed, animals encountered, relocations, injuries, deaths and any approval breaches.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and the relevant wildlife authority where required by the permit, approval or fauna management plan.

After habitat disturbance: Post clearance checks

Keep the controls in place after machinery leaves. Post clearance work must check that retained habitat, movement links and relocated animals are not being affected by follow up construction activities.

Inspect the cleared boundary and retained habitat for injured or trapped animals, damaged exclusion fencing, crushed burrows, disturbed nests and unapproved vegetation removal.

Check culverts, trenches, pits and temporary excavations daily while they remain open, and provide approved escape measures where they could trap small mammals.

Remove waste, spoil, stockpiles and temporary materials from retained habitat and dispersal routes.

Confirm that no new weeds, soil movement or plant disease management issue has degraded retained heath or heathy woodland.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat and any relocation sites using the same survey methods and habitat strata used before disturbance so results can be compared.

Include Elliott trapping, hair sampling and targeted habitat checks where the approval or fauna management plan requires post works monitoring.

Interpret changes against rainfall, drought and fire history because heath mouse numbers can increase more than tenfold after high rainfall and then fall sharply.

Report survey effort, detections, non detections, mortality, relocation outcomes, habitat loss, rehabilitation progress and any corrective action to the approval authority and relevant state wildlife database.

Maintain exclusion fencing, no go markers, access controls and weed management until the environmental officer confirms that the risk from project activities has ended.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and corrective action

Apply any approved offset, habitat restoration or connectivity measure required by the EPBC Act or state approval.

Investigate and correct any loss of retained habitat, damaged connection, weed incursion, predator increase or fire management failure identified during monitoring.

Escalate unexpected mortality, repeated detections in the construction footprint or evidence of a declining retained subpopulation to the relevant wildlife authority and ecological adviser.

Rehabilitation actions: Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should recreate dense, floristically diverse heath and heathy woodland, with a mixture of vegetation ages and continuous ground cover. The aim is to provide shelter, food and movement habitat rather than a uniform stand of plants.

Restore species rich dry heath and heathy stringybark woodland using locally appropriate native species from the pre clearing community.

Include grasses, sedges, lilies, shrubs and other locally appropriate plants that can provide flowers, seeds, berries, stems, leaves and underground fungal habitat.

Reinstate dense ground cover, surface runways, logs and other shelter features where these were present before disturbance.

Reconnect retained patches with planted or naturally regenerating habitat corridors where practicable.

Do not establish a uniform vegetation age across the rehabilitation area; retain or develop a mosaic of post fire age classes suited to the local population.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, weeds and predators

Develop fire regimes with the relevant land manager so that fire does not remove all dense cover or repeatedly burn the same habitat before the heath mouse can recover.

In Victoria, retain and restore a mix that includes heath about 5 to 15 years after fire and older heathy woodland up to 25 years post fire where appropriate to the local habitat.

In Western Australia, protect mature heath and scrub, including habitat that may require about 30 years without fire, unless local advice supports another regime.

Prevent weed invasion by controlling golden wattle, radiata pine, bluebell creeper, bitou bush, bridal creeper and other invasive plants that simplify the understorey.

Use integrated fox and cat control at known sites, and assess the effects of fox control on cat abundance and brushtail possum activity before changing control methods.

Manage Phytophthora risk where susceptible heath plants occur, including hygiene controls and early treatment of infected areas.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor plant establishment, understorey structure, ground cover, weed cover, fire age, connectivity and the condition of reinstated logs and other shelter features.

Use repeat habitat searches, hair sampling and Elliott trapping to assess heath mouse use of rehabilitated areas, with effort recorded in trap nights and sampling days.

Compare rehabilitation results with retained reference habitat and record rainfall, drought, fire history and predator control because these factors affect detection and abundance.

Treat rehabilitation as successful only when the area provides dense, connected and floristically diverse cover, supports suitable food resources across the year and is used by heath mice or provides demonstrably suitable habitat under the approved monitoring design.

Adapt planting, weed control, predator control and fire management if monitoring shows poor cover, isolation, low food productivity or failure to achieve the approved habitat outcomes.

Sources