Feral_cats_in_Australia | TriviaQuestions.online

⭐ In the context of hopping mice, feral cats in Australia is considered a significant factor in…

Introduced predators, including feral cats, are identified as a primary cause for the extinction of half of the hopping mouse species since European colonization, alongside competition for food from other introduced animals.

⭐ Core Definition: Feral cats in Australia

Cats (Felis catus), initially introduced into Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, now number more than 11 million distributed across more than 90% of the continent including every major island.

They are the second most popular pet by household (third most populous overall after dogs and fish). In 2023 there were 5.3 million kept as pets of which approximately 95% are neutered. In addition there are estimated to be up to 6 million feral cats found in almost every remote area across the country.

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👉 Feral cats in Australia in the context of Hopping mouse

A hopping mouse is any of about ten different Australian native mice in the genus Notomys. They are rodents, not marsupials, and their ancestors are thought to have arrived from Asia about 5 million years ago.

All are brown or fawn, fading to pale grey or white underneath, have very long tails and, as the common name implies, well-developed hind legs. Half of the hopping mouse species have become extinct since European colonisation. The primary cause is probably predation from introduced foxes or cats, coupled with competition for food from introduced rabbits and hoofed mammals. A hopping mouse's primary diet is seeds. An Australian hopping mouse can concentrate urine to as high as 10,000 mOsm/L (10-20 times higher than a human). This allows it to survive in the desert without drinking water.

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