Western mouse

Pseudomys occidentalis

Blamed on foxes

IUCN status: Near Threatened

EPBC Predator Threat Rating: Not assessed

IUCN claim: “Predation by Red Foxes may be a threat, however, there was no population level response observed in areas where foxes have been controlled.”

Studies in support

No studies

Studies not in support

No studies

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

No studies were found linking foxes to western mice.

Evidence linking Pseudomys occidentalis to foxes. Systematic review of evidence for an association between Pseudomys occidentalis and foxes. Positive studies are in support of the hypothesis that foxes contribute to the decline of Pseudomys occidentalis, negative studies are not in support. Predation studies include studies documenting hunting or scavenging; baiting studies are associations between poison baiting and threatened mammal abundance where information on predator abundance is not provided; population studies are associations between threatened mammal and predator abundance. Gold borders indicate studies that meet qualities of scientific rigour. See methods section in Wallach and Lundgren 2025 for details on evidence categories.
Evidence linking Pseudomys occidentalis to foxes. Systematic review of evidence for an association between Pseudomys occidentalis and foxes. Positive studies are in support of the hypothesis that foxes contribute to the decline of Pseudomys occidentalis, negative studies are not in support. Predation studies include studies documenting hunting or scavenging; baiting studies are associations between poison baiting and threatened mammal abundance where information on predator abundance is not provided; population studies are associations between threatened mammal and predator abundance. Gold borders indicate studies that meet qualities of scientific rigour. See methods section in Wallach and Lundgren 2025 for details on evidence categories.

References

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023

Wallach A.D., Lundgren E.J. (2025) Review of evidence that foxes and cats cause extinctions of Australia’s endemic mammals. BioScience. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf046