Crest-tailed mulgara

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Crest-tailed mulgara
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Present
Crest-tail Mulgara.jpg
Crest-tailed mulgara, Simpson Desert
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Genus: Dasycercus
Species:
D. cristicauda
Binomial name
Dasycercus cristicauda
(Krefft, 1867)
Crest-tailed Mulgara area.png
Crest-tailed mulgara range
Crest-tailed mulgara showing distinguishing crest on tail Crest-tailed Mulgara.jpg
Crest-tailed mulgara showing distinguishing crest on tail

The crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) is a small to medium-sized Australian carnivorous marsupial and a member of the family Dasyuridae (meaning "hairy tail") [1] which includes quolls, dunnarts, numbats, the endangered Tasmanian devil and the extinct thylacine. The crest-tailed mulgara is among a group of native predatory mammals or mesopredators endemic to arid Australia. [2]

Description

The crest-tailed mulgara is a small to medium-sized mammal with sandy coloured fur on the upper parts leading to a darker grey on the under parts and inner limbs. [3] The species is strongly sexually dimorphic with adult males weighing 100 to 185 g (3.5 to 6.5 oz) and females weighing 65 to 120 g (2.3 to 4.2 oz). [4] Head–body length of 125–230 mm and tail length is between 75–125 mm. [3] [4] Identification between the two species within the genus Dasycercus has proven difficult with the crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) often confused with the brush-tailed mulgara or ampurta ( D. blythi ). Tail morphology is a primary identifying feature between the two species. [2] The crest-tailed mulgara has a crest of fine black hairs along the dorsal edge of the tail creating a fin-like crest and hair length tapering towards the tip. In contrast the brush-tailed mulgara tail hair is not crested, black hair starts half way along the upper surface of the tail and dorsal hair length remains consistent. [3] Nipple count also differs between the two species and is another distinguishing feature. The female crest-tailed mulgara has eight nipples compared to the brush-tailed mulgara who only has six. [2] [3] [5]

Taxonomy

There has been taxonomic confusion within the genus Dasycercus described by Peters in 1875. [3] Four named forms of carnivorous marsupials have been assigned to this genus. [3] Kreft, 1867, first described Chaetocercus cristicauda in 1877. [3] A second form, Phascogale blythi was described by Waite, 1904, followed by a third form, Phascogale hillieri described by Thomas, 1905. [3] Jones 1923, described two species of mulgara Dasycercuscristicauda and D. hillieri. [6] but decades on, William Ride’s 'A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia' published in 1970 referred only to a single species, Dasycercuscristicauda, and in 1988 Mahoney and Ride placed all three species in the synonymy of D. cristicauda. [3] A fourth species, Dasyuroides byrnei, described by Spencer, 1896, was included by Mahoney and Ride however a lack of consensus resulted in its exclusion to the genus Dasycercus. [3] In 1995 Woolley described two sub-species, D. cristicauda cristicauda and D. cristicauda hillieri, [7] which were later confirmed to be two species using mitochondrial gene sequencing by Adams, Cooper and Armstrong in 2000. Woolley resolved the taxonomic and nomenclatural issues in 2005 and the species was re-named to two genetically distinct forms, D. cristicauda previously D. hillieri or the Ampurta and D. blythi previously named D. cristicauda or the Mulgara. [3]

Distribution

The crest-tailed mulgara inhabits areas of arid Australia. It has been recorded in the southern Simpson Desert near the tri-state border and in the Tirari and Strzelecki Deserts of South Australia and the western Lake Eyre region. [8] Historically the species’ geographic range was much larger incorporating areas from Ooldea on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain and the Musgrave Ranges in South Australia, Sandringham Station in Queensland (last record in 1968) [9] and from the Canning Stock Route and near Rawlinna on the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia. [8] Owl pellet examinations showed presence of crest-tailed mulgara near the southern and south-eastern margins of the Strzelecki dunefield/sandplain, in the Flinders Ranges and at Mutawintji National Park in far-western New South Wales. [10] Due to the levels of taxonomic uncertainty, misidentification may have led to an overestimated distribution especially when based on older records. This has created difficulties in assessing and interpreting temporal changes within its historic distribution. [11]

Ecology and habitat

Habitat

The crest-tailed mulgara inhabits crests and slopes of sand ridges, or around salt lakes in inland Australia. [2] [4] During the day it shelters in burrows which are located at the base of sandhill canegrass ( Zygochloa paradoxa) clumps [2] or Nitre bush (Nitraria billardieri) growing around the edges of salt lakes. [4] Burrow site suitability, rainfall, food resources and the fire age of the vegetation community may be a factor influencing their distribution. [2]

Diet

The crest-tail mulgara is an opportunistic or non-specialist carnivore, eating a range of insects, arachnids and rodents but also includes reptiles, centipedes and small marsupials. [4] [12] It forages along the dune crests and flanks with forays down onto the swales.

Breeding and reproduction

The crest-tailed mulgara reaches sexual maturity in the first year. Reproduction occurs between winter and early summer raising up to eight young in a litter. Independent young are found in spring and early summer [4] [11]

Conservation status

Wild Deserts Project, University of New South Wales, team member Reece Pedler holds a crest-tailed mulgara which was re-discovered in 2017 in Sturt National Park north-west of Tibooburra, Australia. Crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) closeup.jpg
Wild Deserts Project, University of New South Wales, team member Reece Pedler holds a crest-tailed mulgara which was re-discovered in 2017 in Sturt National Park north-west of Tibooburra, Australia.

The following are the federal, state and international listings for the crest-tailed mulgara. [8] The mulgara was presumed extirpated in New South Wales for more than a century, but was re-discovered in 2017 in Sturt National Park north-west of Tibooburra. [13]

Federal Listing Status

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act): Listed as Vulnerable.

Non-statutory Listing Status

IUCN: Listed as Near Threatened (Global Status: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species).

WA: Listed as P4 (Priority Flora and Priority Fauna List (Western Australia)).

NGO: Listed as Near Threatened (The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012).

State Listing Status

NSW: Listed as Extinct (Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016), April 2018.

NT: Listed as Vulnerable (Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000), 2012.

QLD: Listed as Vulnerable (Nature Conservation Act 1992), September 2017.

SA: Listed as Endangered (National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972), June 2011.

Threats

The crest-tailed mulgara is sensitive to predation by the European red fox and feral cat, [2] changes to fire regimes together with environmental degradation and habitat homogenization attributed to grazing from livestock and introduced European rabbits. [10] [14] During post-release of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), the crest-tailed mulgara underwent a 70-fold increase in its extent of occurrence and a 20-fold increase in its area of occupancy. [15]

Related Research Articles

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The dusky hopping mouse, is a small rodent endemic to Australia, inhabiting desert regions characterised by sand dunes. Populations have experienced significant declines since the arrival of Europeans, and continue to be subject to threatening processes. It is currently listed as a threatened species.

<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 and the extinct thylacine. 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.

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

The brush-tailed phascogale, also known by its Australian native name tuan, the common wambenger, the black-tailed mousesack or the black-tailed phascogale, is a rat-sized arboreal carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail. Males of this species do not live past the age of one, as they die after reproducing.

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

The kowari, also known by its Diyari name kariri, is a small carnivorous marsupial native to the gibber deserts of central Australia. It is the sole member of the genus Dasyuroides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dasyurinae</span> Subfamily of mammals

The subfamily Dasyurinae includes several genera of small carnivorous marsupials native to Australia: quolls, kowari, mulgara, kaluta, dibblers, phascogales, pseudantechinuses, and the Tasmanian devil. The subfamily is defined largely on biochemical criteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulgara</span> Genus of marsupials

Mulgaras are the six small rat-sized species in the genus Dasycercus. They are marsupial carnivores, closely related to the Tasmanian devil and the quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex grasslands of arid Australia. They are nocturnal, but occasionally "sunbathe" in the entrance of the burrow in which they dwell. Their kidneys are highly developed to excrete extremely concentrated urine to preserve water, as the animals rarely drink. They feed mostly on insects, but also eat reptiles and small mammals. They are seasonal breeders and breed from June to September. The pouch comprises two lateral folds of skin.

<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">Dasyurini</span> Tribe of marsupials

The tribe Dasyurini includes several genera of small carnivorous marsupials native to Australia: quolls, kowari, mulgara, kaluta, dibblers, neophascogales, pseudantechinuses, and the Tasmanian devil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phascogalini</span> Tribe of marsupials

The Phascogalini are a tribe in the family Dasyuridae, comprising seven genera of small marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea.

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

The red-tailed phascogale, also known as the red-tailed wambenger, red-tailed mousesack or kenngoor, is a small carnivorous marsupial found in inland areas of south-western Western Australia, and has been reintroduced in sanctuaries in WA and the Northern Territory. It is listed as near threatened by the IUCN Red List, vulnerable under the federal EPBC Act, and its status varies between extinct and conservation-dependent under respective legislation in other states and territories of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolley's false antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

Woolley's false antechinus, also known as Woolley's pseudantechinus, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial belonging to the family Dasyuridae. It is found in the Australian state of Western Australia, primarily in the Pilbara, Ashburton and Murchison regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Cooper's false antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

Rory Cooper's false antechinus, also known as the tan false antechinus and the tan pseudantechinus, is a recently named species of small carnivorous marsupial which inhabits rocky outcrops in Western Australia. Nothing is known of its behaviour but it is expected that this will be similar to other members of the false antechinus genus. A study published in 2017 found no support for separation as a new species of Pseudantechinus, and the name was proposed to be synonymous with the previously described Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis.

<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.

Patricia Woolley is Australian zoologist recognised for her work with marsupials, specifically the dasyurid family. Pseudantechinus woolleyae is named for her.

The southern mulgara is a newly described, potentially extinct, species of mulgara. The species is named after Australian palaeontologist Michael Archer, who contributed to many Australian palaeontological and mammalian discoveries.

The northern mulgara is a newly described, and potentially extinct, species of mulgara. The species is named after Dr. Patricia Woolley who previously worked on the genus Dasycercus, and has worked extensively with Australian dasyurids.

References

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  13. z3517017 (2017-12-15). "Mammal long thought extinct in NSW resurfaces in state's west". UNSW Newsroom. Retrieved 2017-12-18.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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