Dibbler

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For the Discworld character see: Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler

Dibblers

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Subclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Dasyuromorphia
Family:	Dasyuridae
Genus:	Parantechinus & Pseudantechinus (in part)

Species

Southern Dibbler, Pa. apicalis
Sandstone Dibbler, Ps. bilarni

The dibblers are two small marsupials species. They are found in Southwestern Western Australia, Boullanger, Whitlock, and Escape Islands, some national parks/reserves, including Fitzgerald River National Park, Peniup Nature Reserve (where it was re-introduced) and at the Stirling Range National Park (where it was re-introduced). Dibblers weigh about 40–100 grams (1.4–3.6 oz) and eat insects, small reptiles, and nectar. Dibblers are nocturnal.

In the early 19th century, dibblers were widely distributed across Western Australia. By 1884, they were declared extinct, but some were found on the southern coast of Western Australia in 1967. They are threatened by habitat loss (land clearing, forest fires) and predators. Their predators are mainly feral foxes and feral cats.

The Perth Zoo in Western Australia operates a conservation project for the dibblers which is vital to its survival.

The dibblers habitat is an unburnt vegetation area with a thick litter layer and sandy soils. They can be found sleeping in hollow logs and caves during the day.

The two main locations where Dibblers live are Whitlock and Boullanger, which are two little islands just off Jurien Bay. They have also been spotted at Torndirrup Peninsula south of Albany.

[edit] Taxonomy

The genus Parantechinus contains only the single species, Pa. apicalis, the Southern Dibbler. Pseudantechinus has several species, but only one is called a dibbler, Ps. bilarni, the Sandstone Dibbler; all other members of this genus are called false antechinuses.