Use of external mound structures as indicators of the presence of the pebble-mound mouse, Pseudomys chapmani, in mound systems

Pebble mounds constructed by Pseudomys chapmani are found throughout the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Studies have shown that not all mounds within an area are occupied by P. chapmani at any one time. This paper reports a system of scoring pebble mounds on their external features to determine whether the mound is occupied by P. chapmani. Active mounds were found to have a significantly higher index score than inactive mounds. The scoring system reported here is an effective predictor of the presence of P. chapmani in pebble mounds.