Smoky Mouse

The Smoky Mouse eats seeds and fruit in summer, while underground fungi is on the winter menu. It lives in communal nests underground.

They are a gentle little mouse with a two-toned pink and grey tail and very soft blue-grey fur which gives them their name.

To breed, they require a stable habitat, with access to well-developed, diverse, and healthy under-storeys.

In Victoria, the Smoky Mouse is extinct in two out of four known locations, but can still be found in the Grampians, and in fragmented areas within the Central Highlands.

The major threats

Changes to and the complete loss of habitat is the main threat to the Smoky Mouse. They are also very vulnerable to the increasing numbers of predatory foxes and feral cats.

The plan for fighting extinction

The first step in recovering the Smoky Mouse is discovering where they are, and the health of their populations.

Zoos Victoria is surveying mice across the Central Highlands and Grampians with partners, to determine their distribution and number.

In the future we hope to protect the current populations and return the mice back to the Otways and East Gippsland, where they used to occur.

How you can help

• Raise community awareness and support for the Smoky Mouse.
• Visit our zoos to support our work to fight extinction.
• Donate if you can. As we are a not-for-profit organisation, all donations go towards our conservation work.
• Discover more about local conservation events and join the growing number of wild activists taking action for local wildlife.