The body and head of silky mice tend to be between 65-80 millimeters, with their tail length ranging from 90-110 millimeters. They tend to weigh between 16-22 grams. They have light brown and grey fur on their backs, and white fur on their bellies.
Silky mice are native to Australia, specifically south-eastern Australia (western Victoria). They live in sandy heathlands near plants such as banksias, tea-trees, broombush and mallee eucalypts, which they use to shelter the entrance to their burrows. These mice will dig complex burrows about 2 cm in diameter with multiple tunnels and chambers. In order to support their heavily herbivorous diet, they need a high plant diversity in their habitat consisting of plants which will bloom and bear fruit throughout the entire year. Silky mice are negatively affected by intensely high temperatures and water shortages.
Silky mice are nocturnal creatures that rest in their burrows during the day, and go searching for seeds, nectar, flowers, and fruit at night. While they are primarily herbivores, silky mice sometimes consume cockroaches in the winter in order to supplement their diet. Silky mice are able to breed anytime throughout the year, but usually do so when food conditions are favorable. They tend to have two to five young per litter and they are able to birth successive litters. The Silky mouse tends to live up to two years.
