Woolley's false antechinus

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Woolley's false antechinus [1]
Woolley's False Antechinus imported from iNaturalist photo 218736843 on 9 January 2023.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Genus: Pseudantechinus
Species:
P. woolleyae
Binomial name
Pseudantechinus woolleyae
Kitchener & Caputi, 1988
Woolley's False Antechinus area.png
Woolley's false antechinus range

Woolley's false antechinus (Pseudantechinus woolleyae), 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. [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

Woolley's false antechinus was, like most false antechinuses, long believed to be a form of the fat-tailed false antechinus, which it closely resembles. It was not given full species status until 1988. The common and species names honour Dr Patricia Woolley, an Australian expert on these dasyurid marsupials. [4]

Description

Woolley's false antechinus is the largest false antechinus and its behaviour is little known. It has a breeding life of two or more years, unlike many of its relatives which live for a short time. [3] Births occur in September–October and the young are sexually mature at 10 months. [3]

Woolley's false antechinus is coloured rich brown above and buff below. It has a flattened tail and chestnut patches behind its ears. [4]

Habitat

Woolley's false antechinus inhabits rocky hillsides, usually vegetated with acacia scrub or spinifex grass. It is found in the western area of Western Australia. [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">Dibbler</span> Species of marsupial

Dibbler 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little red kaluta</span> Species of marsupial

The little red kaluta, or simply kaluta, is a species of carnivorous nocturnal marsupial. It lives in the arid regions of northwest Australia. Individuals are around 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weigh from 20 to 40 g. They live for about four years in captivity.

<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.

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">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">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">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">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">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.

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

The dusky antechinus, 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.

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

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. 28. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  2. Burbidge, A.; Cooper, N.; Woolley, P.; Morris, K. (2016). "Pseudantechinus woolleyae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T40539A21945425. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T40539A21945425.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN   0-19-550870-X.
  4. 1 2 Woolley, P.A. (1995). "Woolley's False Antechinus". In Strahan, Ronald (ed.). The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 80–81.