Publications

Summary

This Recovery Plan considers three species of small native mammals occurring in northern Australia, the carpentarian antechinus Pseudantechinus mimulus (occurring in Northern Territory and Queensland), Butlers dunnart Sminthopsis butleri (Northern Territory and Western Australia) and northern hopping-mouse Notomys aquilo (Northern Territory and Queensland). All three species are considered Vulnerable at national level.

Much or most of the distribution of all three species is on Aboriginal lands. Only two of the species are known to be represented in conservation reserves, and in each case this is in one reserve only: carpentarian antechinus in Barranyi National Park and northern hopping-mouse in Nanydjaka IPA.

There is remarkably little known about each of the three species. There are a total of only 9 records of Butlers dunnart, 19 records of carpentarian dunnart; and the northern hopping-mouse is known only from several collections on Groote Eylandt and two specimens from elsewhere. In each case, there have been no records of the species in the region around their type localities since the initial collections. There have been no substantial ecological studies conducted on any of the species. This limited information base is a substantial impediment to management planning for these species.

Largely because of this information deficiency, this Recovery Plan includes a set of actions that describe additional survey and research activities. These are aimed to refine and more closely target management actions, but until such refinement is possible, a set of broad management actions is proposed for more immediate implementation. This set includes fire management to maintain and enhance habitat suitability, and control of feral cats.