Distribution and Habitat of the Broadtoothed Rat 

 Mastacomys fuscus Thomas (Rodentia, Muridae) 

 in Victoria 



h V j. h Si rrrck 



the hroadioothcd rai has been 

 recorded I mm few localities in Vi.-- 



toria, the moM recant published 

 records being Loch Valley tWarnckc 



I'U-Ol and I eongatha I Lvndon 

 I'MiO) larlicr locality records hflWC 

 been summarized by Warneke (IM(tO) 

 and Calahv and Wimhush (l l >f>4) 

 Since \9W several other localities 

 base been discvvctcd and the known 

 modern range extended. The con- 

 tinuing picsctice of 1 he species in the 

 Olwav liaises has been conlirmed. 



fhfi papal presents this additional 

 distributional data and sonic details 

 ol the hahilal associations of the 

 species. Figure I shows ihfi pieseni 

 distribution of Mtistaromy. flams m 

 Vietoiia. Specimens repoilcd in this 

 paper arc in the eullccui.ns ot the 

 Fisheries and Wildlife Department or 

 tjtfi Nation, (I Museum of Victoria. 

 Table I lists registration numbers 

 ot Mti\itu oniy\ in those collections, 



Nvsx lo« m in Kkoki.s 

 I . Kulorama 



la February WW a p.escived 

 specimen ot MW«OQt*yi fusbus was 

 received from Or. Ci. Ogilvie. of J.is- 

 pcr Road, KJurama. in the Dande- 

 lion*: Ranges. 40 km l25 mis) east 

 of Melbourne (lal. 37* 4HS, long. 

 I4S" IH'L) at an altitude ol iihoul 

 500 m (1620 ft) above sea level. It 

 wa> a young non-paious female 

 which hiul been captured by the 

 family cat Subsequent extensive 

 trapping in the WBSf w.is Cttfiwd QUI 

 in the ensuing weeks bul no lurlhei 

 specimens of MWQCOmN vvere col- 

 lected, although a large number of 

 other small mammals were captured 



In September l'Ji,s | 111 <lu r explura 



low napping Mas carried out on the 

 opposite (southern) side of the ii% 

 liom Dr.. Oeilvie's home, some 120m 

 (400 11) awayi. I hu e specimens of 

 M,i\i<icnm\'S were I nipped (20, 22, 

 :< September). These vveie an adult 

 male an adiill p. nous lem.ile and .' 

 juvenile female 1'iitihci Happing in 

 the area failed lo yield any lutlhci 

 specimens. Subsequently, two furthe, 



specimens oi Vfastutvinyi fun ndfill 

 female and a juvenile male) w 

 lound dead, neat to this trappmj: 

 ZsSnt, Uoth hail appaientlv been taker, 

 by a oil. 



The area in which these receni 

 specimens were trapped was ut the 

 western cud ol I nth Road, on I 

 block of privately owned land which 

 has now been cleared ut most ol ilu- 

 undct growth Befaft April 1968 the 

 scmh on this block was contiguous, 

 with oilier uncleared private land, 

 luu most ol the adjacent blocks wcr< 

 hulldo/id in laic April l'M>8 to rc 

 move ritfi set lib as a lire precuum 

 me.istne Hglirc 2 shows the luc.v 

 Hun of the Capture sue and the hnsli 

 remaining at the lime of w riling 

 duly 1970*1 



Soils in the aiv.i .ue derived from 

 hypcrstheue dacite. and in this sitm 

 lion the pareni rock is close 10 the 

 Mirlacc. being exposed in a numbci 

 of places. The altitude and souih 

 wesierh aspect result in a high r,|i» 

 fall; the average fur Mt. Daiidenoiie 

 3.2 km ( 2 mis) south-cast is 1-17 } C»t 

 per annum. This rainfall. lojtelW'i 



•Tfliciic-. una WMIIft tJcra'i'ils'il Ar"-* 



into* in.niiac tin ewnruflmAMi vvmx 

 lit Idmvn Si . HeiiMber*. v.cim,., tux* 



v„a Mai Vol 88 



