Are native rodents fast breeders?
STEVE VAN DYCK: Generally no. No. An introduced house mouse might have 12 young at a time and 12 litters a year, that’s compared to a little native mouse like this that only has four young at a time and probably no more than one or two litters a year. WESLEY DENING : OK, so why is it so important to save these native rodents? STEVE VAN DYCK: Well, it’s just as important to save a native rodent like this, as it is to save a koala or a humpback whale. Who’s to say that one has a greater right to life than the other? Now, we don’t know every role that a native rodent plays in the ecosystem, but we do know that the richness of life is something that has to be preserved and it’s something that gives us hope for the future. And it’s our responsibility to preserve that biodiversity for the sake of our children for years to come.
