A photo from open sources
Smoky false mice (Pseudomys fumeus), inhabiting exclusively in Australia, officially declared the first species to disappear from Earth faces due to the effects of fires on the continent.
Rodents died due to pulmonary diseases that developed in them against the background of the fact that the mice breathed smoke from the burning wood, reports the press service of the University of Charles Sturt (CSU).
It is noted that extinct animals lived more than 20 kilometers from the fire zone itself.
“Smoky mice died from lung diseases that appeared due to the large number of deadly microscopic soot particles contained in the smoke of forest fires, “- said CSU employee Andrew Peters.
A photo from open sources
He added that the mice began to die en masse after a couple of days after smoke appeared in their habitat. In the lungs of animals microscopic soot particles were found.
“By some estimates, fires killed 1.25 billion wildlife, however, if taken in attention to the consequences of smoke, the losses will be much greater “, – emphasized specialist.
Recall that large-scale forest fires swept eastern Australia last fall.
A source
Australia Fires
