An elusive vulnerable mouse species has been recorded in Cairns for the first time. Researcher and environmental consultant Andrew Mitchell recently discovered the native water mouse (Xeromys myoides) in the Cairns mangroves, more than 500km from the closest known population. The find confirms strong biodiversity in the Cairns area’s mangroves, which act as a filter for water entering the Great Barrier Reef and form an important link with the rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage area.
View media release
[Article – Reef Chat, 2nd Edition – 20 October 2017]