Common planigale

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Common planigale [1]
Planigale maculata - Gould.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Genus: Planigale
Species:
P. maculata
Binomial name
Planigale maculata
(Gould, 1851)
Common Planigale area.png
Common planigale range

The common planigale (Planigale maculata), also known as the pygmy planigale or coastal planigale, is one of the small carnivorous marsupials known as "marsupial mice" found in Australia. There they fill a similar niche to the insectivores of other parts of the world.

Contents

The common planigale was first described by John Gould in 1851, using a specimen forwarded to England by the collector Frederick Strange. [3] It was originally described as Antechinus maculatus, and it was retained in the genus Antechinus until Mike Archer transferred it to Planigale in his 1976 revision of the latter genus. The species' scientific name means "spotted flat-weasel". [4]

Two subspecies are recognised: [1] [4]

Physical description

As a "marsupial mouse," the common planigale lies somewhere between a mouse and a shrew in shape. Its body is covered in fur, though that of the tail is sparse when compared to the rest of the body. The underside of its coat is a light grayish yellow color, while the rest varies by individual from gray to a cinnamon color. This species is the largest of the genus, with a body and head length of about 100 mm (3.9 in) and a tail length of about 80 mm (3.1 in). Typical weights are close to 15 g (0.53 oz) for males and close to 11 g (0.39 oz) for females. The head of the common planigale is very narrow, giving it a flattened appearance, though less so than other planigales. Females have a well-developed pouch that opens toward the rear. [5] [6] [7]

Planigale maculata001.jpg

Reproduction

The gestation for common planigale is 20 days. At the end of that period, the female gives birth to 5-11 young; the number varies but tends to be consistent with the number of teats the female possesses. They are born at an early stage in development and migrate to the pouch, where they suckle until they are fully developed. Young fully emerge from the pouch around 28 days of age, begin eating solid food at around 55, and are independent of the mother at 70. Breeding begins at around 290 days, later than many similar species. Males continue breeding until at least 24 months of age. Females are polyestrous and can raise several litters a year; in captivity, breeding takes place year-round. [8]

Behaviour

The common planigale makes its living on the ground where thick cover is present to protect it from predators. Its flattened skull allows it to slip through narrow crevasses, holes, and stands of grass to escape quickly or hunt for its prey. Community nests are often built. In captivity, females make small, saucer-shaped nests out of bark and grass; it is assumed that they do the same in the wild. The species is primarily nocturnal, though in the winter it will come out to forage for food in the daylight if conditions are favourable. [7] If conditions are unfavourable, individuals may enter a state of torpor. In this state, metabolism is suppressed, decreasing oxygen use and lowering the respiration rate from 100/min to 15-30/min. Most species only enter torpor when food is scarce, but the common planigale has been observed to do so even when food is abundant, so air temperature may be the primary factor. While in this state, individuals curl up on their sides and tuck their heads into their stomach. [5]

Diet

The common planigale, like other members of the genus Planigale , eats primarily insects and other arthropods, though they may occasionally prey on other small animals, such as lizards or birds. [9] Due to its small size, the common planigale tends to prefer smaller insects, typically those that are less than 15 mm (0.59 in) in length. However, it is capable of taking larger prey, such as large beetles and especially grasshoppers. To kill an insect, it bites the prey's underside, where the exoskeleton is softer. [10] In captivity, the species is known to eat mealworms, commercial dog food, eggs, honey, and minced meat. [5] [8]

Distribution and habitat

The common planigale is found from the upper Hunter River valley not far north of Sydney along the coast and hinterland to Cape York, and across the Top End of Australia to the Kimberley and a little beyond. It is also found on Groote Eylandt [11] and on Great Keppel Island where its survival is threatened by proposed development. It occupies a wider range of habitat than other planigales, living in sclerophyll forest, rainforest, marshlands, grasslands and even the outer suburbs of Brisbane where it is occasionally trapped mistakenly as a house mouse. Throughout these habitats, it prefers areas with thick cover near water. [5] [7] [10]

Conservation status

The exact population of the common planigale is not known, but the species is not believed to be threatened and is not listed as such. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dasyuridae</span> Family of marsupials

The Dasyuridae are a family of marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including 71 extant species divided into 17 genera. Many are small and mouse-like or shrew-like, giving some of them the name marsupial mice or marsupial shrews, but the group also includes the cat-sized quolls, as well as the Tasmanian devil. They are found in a wide range of habitats, including grassland, underground, forests, and mountains, and some species are arboreal or semiaquatic. The Dasyuridae are often called the 'marsupial carnivores', as most members of the family are insectivores.

The former subfamily Planigalinae contained the planigales and the ningauis: very small marsupial carnivores native to Australia which are, like the quolls, antechinuses, dibblers, Tasmanian devil, and many others, part of the biological order Dasyuromorphia: the carnivorous marsupials. The subfamily is now contained in the Sminthopsinae subfamily, and the two genera are split between two different tribes; the planigales are by themselves in their own tribe, while the ningaui are lumped with the dunnarts and the Kultarr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger quoll</span> Carnivorous marsupial native to Australia

The tiger quoll, also known as the spotted-tailed quoll, spotted quoll, spotted-tailed dasyure, or tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus Dasyurus native to Australia. With males and females weighing around 3.5 and 1.8 kg, respectively, it is the world's second-largest extant carnivorous marsupial, behind the Tasmanian devil. Two subspecies are recognised; the nominate is found in wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a northern subspecies, D. m. gracilis, is found in a small area of northern Queensland and is endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quoll</span> Genus of marsupial mammals

Quolls are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Another two species are known from fossil remains in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits in Queensland. Genetic evidence indicates that quolls evolved around 15 million years ago in the Miocene, and that the ancestors of the six species had all diverged by around four million years ago. The six species vary in weight and size, from 300 g (11 oz) to 7 kg (15 lb). They have brown or black fur and pink noses. They are largely solitary, but come together for a few social interactions such as mating which occurs during the winter season. A female gives birth to up to 30 pups, but the number that can be raised to adulthood is limited by the number of teats (6–7). They have a life span of 1–5 years.

<i>Antechinus</i> Genus of marsupials

Antechinus is a genus of small dasyurid marsupial endemic to Australia. They resemble mice with the bristly fur of shrews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kultarr</span> Species of marsupial

The kultarr is a small insectivorous nocturnal marsupial inhabiting the arid interior of Australia. Preferred habitat includes stony deserts, shrubland, woodland, grassland and open plains. The kultarr has a range of adaptations to help cope with Australia's harsh arid environment including torpor similar to hibernation that helps conserve energy. The species has declined across its former range since European settlement due to changes in land management practices and introduced predators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat-tailed dunnart</span> Species of mammal

The fat-tailed dunnart is a species of mouse-like marsupial of the Dasyuridae, the family that includes the little red kaluta, quolls, and the Tasmanian devil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender-tailed dunnart</span> Species of marsupial

The slender-tailed dunnart, also known as the common dunnart in Australia, is a dasyurid marsupial. It has an average body length of 7 to 12 centimeters (2.8–4.7 in) with a tail length of 5.5 to 13 centimetres (2.2–5.1 in). It weighs 25–40.8 grams for males and 16.5–25.4 grams for females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripe-faced dunnart</span> Species of marsupial

The striped-faced dunnart is a small, Australian, nocturnal, "marsupial mouse," part of the family Dasyuridae. The species' distribution occurs throughout much of inland central and northern Australia, occupying a range of arid and semi-arid habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat-tailed false antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

The fat-tailed false antechinus, also called the fat-tailed pseudantechinus and red-eared antechinus, is a member of the order Dasyuromorphia. It is an inhabitant of western and central Australia. Its species name, macdonnellensis, refers to the MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs, where it was first discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern pygmy possum</span> Species of marsupial

The eastern pygmy possum is a diprotodont marsupial of south-eastern Australia. Occurring from southern Queensland to eastern South Australia and also Tasmania, it is found in a range of habitats, including rainforest, sclerophyll forest, woodland and heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agile antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

The agile antechinus is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It is found in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern ningaui</span> Species of marsupial

The southern ningaui is a tiny marsupial carnivore belonging to the Dasyuridae family. Similar in appearance to Ningaui ridei, found throughout central Australia, this species occurs in spinifex on semi-arid sandplains across the southern coast of the continent. The fur is a tawny or greyish olive colour, light grey below, and distinguished by shades of cinnamon. The southern ningaui prefers smaller prey, including insects and spiders, but capable of killing and consuming larger animals such as cockroaches and skinks. Their narrow muzzle is used with quick and fierce bites about the head to despatch their meal. The species was first described in 1983, and placed within the genus Ningaui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandhill dunnart</span> Species of marsupial

The sandhill dunnart is a species of carnivorous Australian marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It is known from four scattered semi-arid areas of Australia: near Lake Amadeus in Northern Territory, the central and eastern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, the southwestern and western edges of the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia, and at Yellabinna in South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paucident planigale</span> Species of marsupial

The paucident planigale, also known as Giles' planigale, is a very small species of carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrow-nosed planigale</span> Species of marsupial

The narrow-nosed planigale is a small Australian carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western pygmy possum</span> Species of marsupial

The western pygmy possum, also known as the southwestern pygmy possum or the mundarda, is a small marsupial found in Australia. Genetic studies indicate its closest relative is probably the eastern pygmy possum, from which its ancestors diverged around eight million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brush-tailed mulgara</span> Species of marsupial

The brush-tailed mulgara, previously the mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda, is a medium sized carnivorous Australian marsupial species weighing approximately 100 g (3.5 oz). The brush-tailed mulgara is sexually dimorphic with males being much larger than females. Their body length is 12 to 17 cm, and tail length is 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in). They store fat in their tail which at times can be over 16 mm (0.63 in) wide at the base.

The cracking-clay Pilbara planigale, formerly known as Planigale sp. Mt Tom Price, is a species of planigale first described in 2023. It is one of the smallest planigales, making it one of the smallest of all marsupials and mammals. The cracking-clay Pilbara planigale lives in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, where it co-occurs with the similar and also newly recognised orange-headed Pilbara planigale. Both species had historically been mistaken for either the common planigale, or long-tailed planigale ; neither of which are now known to occur in the Pilbara.

References

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  3. Gould, John (1863). "Antechinus maculatus, Gould., Spotted Antechinus, [Pl. 44]". The Mammals of Australia. 1: 51.
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  9. Van Deusen; H. M. (August 1969). "Feeding Habits of Planigale (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae)". Journal of Mammalogy . 50 (3). Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 50, No. 3: 616–618. doi:10.2307/1378792. JSTOR   1378792.
  10. 1 2 Fisher, D. O.; C.O. Dickman (September 1993). "Body Size-Prey Relationships in Insectivorous Marsupials: Tests of Three Hypotheses" (PDF). Ecology . 74 (6). Ecology, Vol. 74, No. 6: 1871–1883. doi:10.2307/1939944. JSTOR   1939944.
  11. Menkhorst, Peter; Knight, Frank (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. pp. 64–65. ISBN   0-19-550870-X.