Dibbler

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Dibbler
Parantechinus apicalis - Gould.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Subfamily: Dasyurinae
Tribe: Dasyurini
Genus: Parantechinus
Tate, 1947
Species:
P. apicalis
Binomial name
Parantechinus apicalis
(J. E. Gray, 1842)
Dibbler area.png
Dibbler range
(blue — native, pink — reintroduced)

The dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) is an endangered species of marsupial. It is an inhabitant of the southwest mainland of Western Australia and some offshore islands. It is a member of the order Dasyuromorphia, and the only member of the genus Parantechinus. The dibbler is a small, nocturnal carnivore with speckled fur that is white around the eyes.

Contents

Description

The dibbler is 10–16 cm (3.9–6.3 in) long with a 7.5–12 cm (3.0–4.7 in) tail; it weighs 40–125 g (1.4–4.4 oz). Distinctive features include a white eye-ring, gray-brown fur flecked with white hairs, and a short tapering tail. It has strong jaws and large canine teeth for killing prey, which include small vertebrates such as mice, birds and lizards, as well as insects and other invertebrates. They are semi-arboreal and will also feed on nectar from flowering plants and berries. Dibblers weigh about 40135 grams (1.43.6 oz).The breeding season for the species is March–April, with the female able to give birth and raise up to eight young. The dibbler is a solitary, mostly crepuscular species.

The dibbler is found in southwestern Western Australia, where it is located on Boullanger Island, Whitlock Island and Escape Island (translocated) off Jurien Bay. [2] They are also found on the South Coast in the Fitzgerald River National Park, Peniup Proposed Nature Reserve (where it was re-introduced) and on Gunton Island in the Recherche Archipelago (where it was also re-introduced). They have also recently been released on Dirk Hartog Island as part of the Return to 1616 project run by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. There were attempted releases at the Stirling Range National Park and Waychinicup National Park but it is not thought that they still persist in those locations. A specimen was also captured in Torndirrup National Park south of Albany.

The dibbler's habitat is an unburnt vegetation area with a thick litter layer and sandy soils, typically occupying coastal mallee-heath vegetation communities on the south coast.

Taxonomy

Classification

The dibbler is the only member of its genus, Parantechinus, which indicates that it is an "antechinus-like (animal)". [3] The specific epithet, apicalis, means "pointed". This genus formerly included the sandstone dibbler, now placed in the genus Pseudantechinus .

The genus Parantechinus contains only the single species, Parantechinus apicalis, the dibbler. It was first described in 1842 by John Edward Gray, who placed it in the genus Phascogale . He identified the specimen as being Australasian in origin. The genus Parantechinus was created for the species in 1947 by George Henry Hamilton Tate. The species was also assigned to the genus Antechinus , before being split to its own genus. There are various arrangements of the genera in this section of family Dasyuridae, many of which are supported by molecular systematics, and their relationship remains unresolved. [4]

Common name

The name 'dibbler' is used by government and scientific authorities, and in popular usage, to refer to this species exclusively. [5] [6] [7] [8] In the Dibbler Recovery Plan, Senior DBCA scientist, Dr. Tony Friend notes

Strahan (2003) introduced the common name "southern dibbler" for P. apicalis [Parantechinus apicalis] and "northern dibbler" for the sandstone antechinus" [Pseudantechinus bilarni] [4] ... the well-established use of "dibbler" to refer only to P. apicalis is recommended and is followed in this plan." [9]

A number of common names derive from previous systematic arrangements. John Gould gave several names from the Nyoongar/Noongar language; Marn-dern and Wy-a-lung are from northern areas, Dib-bler is from the dialect spoken in the King George Sound region. [10] The practice of restoring traditional names to marsupial species has conserved this common name. Gould referred to the species as the freckled antechinus, [4] and it has also been known as the speckled marsupial mouse.

The online edition of Mammal Species of the World gave the name Southern dibbler in 2009. [11] A species known as the Northern (or sandstone) dibbler, Pseudantechinus bilarni, is found in the Northern Territory. This species has been distinguished by the name Southern dibbler, however this name is given in The Mammals of Australia (2008), [12] the formative guide for Australian mammal nomenclature worldwide.

Conservation status

In the early 19th century, dibblers were widely distributed across Western Australia. By 1884, they were declared extinct, but some were rediscovered at Cheyne Beach on the southern coast of Western Australia in 1967. They are threatened by habitat loss (land clearing, dieback) and predators; they are considered an endangered species. Their predators are mainly feral foxes and feral cats.

Perth Zoo in Western Australia operates a conservation project for the dibbler which is helpful in its survival and breeding, and along with the Department of Environment and Conservation has helped to breed and release more dibblers into the wild.

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 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">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">Little red kaluta</span> Species of marsupial

The little red kaluta is a small, reddish-brown, shrew-like mammal native to dry grasslands of northwest Australia. It is active at night, feeding on insects and other small animals. The kaluta is a marsupial and is the only member of its genus, Dasykaluta. Individuals are around 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weigh from 20 to 40 g. They live for about four years in captivity. Other common names include little red antechinus, russet antechinus and spinifex antechinus.

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

The yellow-footed antechinus, also known as the mardo, is a shrew-like marsupial found in Australia. One notable feature of the species is its sexual behavior. The male yellow-footed antechinus engages in such frenzied mating that its immune system becomes compromised, resulting in stress related death before it is one year old.

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

The long-nosed potoroo is a small, hopping mammal native to forests and shrubland of southeastern Australia and Tasmania. A member of the potoroo and bettong family (Potoroidae), it lives alone and digs at night for fungi, roots, or small insects. It is also a marsupial and carries its young in a pouch. The long-nosed potoroo is threatened by habitat loss and introduced species such as cats or foxes. There are two subspecies: P. t. tridactylus on mainland Australia, and P. t. apicalis on Tasmania, with lighter fur.

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

The genus Pseudantechinus are members of the order Dasyuromorphia. They are often called false antechinuses, although this genus includes the sandstone dibbler, which was previously assigned to a different genus.

<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">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">Sandstone false antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

The sandstone false antechinus, also known as the sandstone pseudantechinus, the sandstone antechinus, the sandstone dibbler, Harney's antechinus and the Northern dibbler, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial, which has a patchy distribution in Australia's Northern Territory.

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

The Alexandria false antechinus, also known as the Carpentarian false antechinus or Carpentarian pseudantechinus, is a small carnivorous marsupial, found only in a number of small, isolated localities in northern Australia. It is the smallest and rarest of the false antechinuses.

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

The Ningbing false antechinus, also known as the Ningbing pseudantechinus, is a small species of carnivorous marsupial found in north-western Australia. It is locally common throughout the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

<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">Fawn antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

The fawn antechinus is a species of small carnivorous marsupial found in northern Australia. It is the only Antechinus to be found in the Northern Territory and has a patchy, restricted range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boullanger Island</span> Island of Western Australia

Boullanger Island lies off the coast of Western Australia and covers an area of about 35 hectares. The nearest settlement is the mainland town of Jurien Bay. It is located within the Jurien Bay Marine Park and part of the Boullanger, Whitlock, Favourite, Tern and Osprey Islands Nature Reserve.

Whitlock Island is an island near Jurien Bay in Western Australia. It is located within the Jurien Bay Marine Park and part of the Boullanger, Whitlock, Favourite, Tern and Osprey Islands Nature Reserve.

References

  1. Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J. (2016). "Parantechinus apicalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T16138A21944584. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16138A21944584.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 58.
  3. Woolley, P.A. (1995). "Southern Dibbler". In Strahan, Ronald (ed.). The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 72–73.
  4. 1 2 3 Friend, Tony (2003). "Dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) Recovery Plan" (PDF). Dibbler Recovery Team. Department of Conservation and Land Management (DEC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  5. Bencini, R., McCulloch, C., Mills, H.R., Start, A.N., 2001. Habitat and diet of the dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis) on two small islands in Jurien Bay, Western Australia. Wildlife Research 28, 465–468.
  6. Fuller, P.J., Burbidge, A.A., 1987. Discovery of the Dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, on islands at Jurien Bay. The Western Australian Naturalist 16, 177–181.
  7. Miller, S., Bencini, R., Mills, H., Moro, D. Food availability for the dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, on Boullanger and Whitlock Islands, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology (in press).
  8. Mills, H.R., Bencini, R., 2000. New evidence for facultative male dieoff in island populations of dibblers, Parantechinus apicalis. Australian Journal of Zoology 48, 501–510.
  9. Dibbler Recovery Plan (html)
  10. Friend citing Gould, J. 1863. The Mammals of Australia . Taylor and Francis, London.
  11. Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 26. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  12. The Mammals of Australia 3rd Ed. 2008. Reed New Holland. Edited by Steve Van Dyck & Ronald Strahan. ISBN   978-1-877069-25-3