NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Long-tailed Pseudomys
Pseudomys higginsi (Trouessart, 1897)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The long-tailed mouse (Pseudomys higginsi) is a native Australian mammal in the Order Rodentia and the Family Muridae. It is found only on the island of Tasmania. The long-tailed mouse is an omnivore that feeds on insects and a range of plants. It is found in forested areas, particularly in sub-alpine scree, and may live in burrows.
The species reaches a weight of about 70 grams. It is distinguished from other species by its two-tone tail, which is white on the underside and dark above. The tail is 1.3 times longer than the head and body combined. It is speculated that P.higginsi uses its tail for balance while leaping in habitat such as boulder screes.
Fossils of this species have been found in Cloggs Cave, Buchan in eastern Victoria and were identified by palaeontologist Jeanette Hope. The date for the remains based on C-14 dating were between 12 and 20,000 years old.
Wikipedia contributors, Long-tailed mouse; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:48:03.420055+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pseudomys higginsi (Trouessart, 1897)
- Name authority
- (Trouessart, 1897)
- Common name
- Long-tailed Pseudomys
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Pseudomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
- superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
- familyMuridae Illiger, 1811
- subfamilyMurinae Illiger, 1811
- genusPseudomys Gray, 1832
- speciesPseudomys higginsi (Trouessart, 1897)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pseudomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ash-gray PseudomysPseudomys albocinereus (Gould, 1845) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Plains PseudomysPseudomys australis Gray, 1832 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bolam's PseudomysPseudomys bolami Troughton, 1932 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desert PseudomysPseudomys desertor Troughton, 1932 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blue-gray PseudomysPseudomys glaucus Thomas, 1910 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Chestnut PseudomysPseudomys gracilicaudatus (Gould, 1845) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sandy Inland PseudomysPseudomys hermannsburgensis (Waite, 1896) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Holland PseudomysPseudomys novaehollandiae (Waterhouse, 1843) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western Chestnut PseudomysPseudomys nanus (Gould, 1858) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Pebble-mound PseudomysPseudomys patrius (Thomas & Dollman, 1909) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Silky PseudomysPseudomys apodemoides Finlayson, 1932 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Kakadu Pebble-mound PseudomysPseudomys calabyi Kitchener & Humphreys, 1987 | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pseudomys higginsi australiensis Wakefield, 1972 Wakefield, 1972 | synonym |
| Mus leucopus Higgins & Petterd, 1881 Higgins & Petterd, 1881 | ambiguous synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585499 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4P4J5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.