Dusky antechinus

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Dusky antechinus [1]
Antechinus swainsonii1.JPG
Male dusky antechinus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Genus: Antechinus
Species:
A. swainsonii
Binomial name
Antechinus swainsonii
(Waterhouse, 1840)
Dusky Antechinus area.png
Dusky antechinus range

The dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii), also known as Swainson's antechinus or the dusky marsupial mouse, is a species of small marsupial carnivore, a member of the family Dasyuridae. It is found in Australia.

Contents

Taxonomy

The dusky antechinus was described by English naturalist George Robert Waterhouse in 1840, the second antechinus to be described. [3] It was named in honour of the zoologist and artist William Swainson, with the holotype likely being a specimen collected by Swainson's correspondent Thomas Lempriere from the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania. [4]

There are three subspecies: [3]

Description

The dusky antechinus is the largest antechinus. The largest and darkest fur Dusky Antechinus occur in higher altitudes. [5] It can be distinguished from its relatives by its much darker fur, which is also apparent in the pale form. [5] It is mostly nocturnal but has suggested to be partly active during the day. [5] It mostly eats invertebrates, although it will occasionally devour small lizards and skinks. [5] Like all antechinuses, the dusky antechinus has a short and vigorous mating season (which occurs during winter), after which nearly all of the males die. However, compared to the other antechinus species whose male individuals are almost invariably semelparous and females usually so, iteroparity is more commonly seen in the present species (perhaps due to its comparatively large size). The dusky antechinus is also known for being unusually vocal for an antechinus, and has been observed hissing and chattering. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The dusky antechinus is found from southeastern Queensland to southwestern Victoria in Australia, and is also found in Tasmania. [5] It is most common in mountainous regions, including Kosciuszko National Park and the Brindabella Ranges, where they are found in alpine heath or tall open forest with a dense understorey. [3] The species is not threatened, but local populations have been reduced by controlled burning and the instigation of pine plantations in the place of native forests. The cat and the red fox are also believed to be detrimental to local populations. [3]

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.

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

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

<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-tail quoll, spot-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">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.

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

The swamp antechinus, also known as the little Tasmanian marsupial mouse, is a species of shrew-like marsupial of the family Dasyuridae and as such is related to dunnarts, quolls 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">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">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">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">Tropical antechinus</span> Species of marsupial

The tropical antechinus, also known as the rusty antechinus, is a species of small marsupial carnivore, particularly closely related to the brown antechinus.

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

The subtropical antechinus is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae.

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

The Atherton antechinus, also known as Godman's antechinus, is a species of small carnivorous, insectivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is one of the rarest members of its genus, and differs from other antechinuses in its more rufous body colour and small eyes.

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

The cinnamon antechinus, also known as the Iron Ranges antechinus and the Cape York antechinus, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It is the only mammal endemic to Cape York Peninsula, being confined to semideciduous forest around the McIlraith and Iron Ranges. Along with the Atherton antechinus, it is the rarest in its genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown antechinus</span> Species of mammal

The brown antechinus, also known as Stuart's antechinus and Macleay's marsupial mouse, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. The males die after their first breeding season, and the species holds the world record for being the world's smallest semelparous mammal.

References

  1. 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. 30. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  2. Dickman, C.; Menkhorst, P.; Burnett, S. (2016). "Antechinus swainsonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T41508A21946313. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41508A21946313.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dickman, C. R. (1995). "Dusky Antechinus". In Strahan, Ronald (ed.). The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 98–99. ISBN   0-7301-0484-2.
  4. Tuffin, Richard; Vertigan, Caitlin (2020). "Shoot, Catalogue, Eat: Interacting with Nature at a Tasmanian Penal Station" (PDF). Proceedings of the Australia ICOMOS Science Heritage Symposium: Under the Microscope - Exploring Science Heritage: 6.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN   0-19-550870-X.