Fawn Antechinus

Fawn Antechinus[1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
Genus: Antechinus
Species: A. bellus
Binomial name
Antechinus bellus
(Thomas, 1904)
Distribution of the Fawn Antechinus

The Fawn Antechinus (Antechinus bellus) 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

The Fawn Antechinus was first described in 1904 by the renowned biologist Oldfield Thomas, who gave it the species name bellus, meaning beautiful.[3] It has never been confused with other species.

The Fawn Antechinus is a member of the family Dasyuridae and of the genus Antechinus (meaning "hedgehog-equivalent"), which has nine other members.

Description

The Fawn Antechinus is unique among antechinuses, being considerably paler than many of its relatives. It is a light grey colour and is distinguished from the only other similar species in the area where it lives (the Sandstone Dibbler and the Red-cheeked Dunnart) by its larger size and paler colouring. It is insectivorous and, like many of its relatives, all of the males die after the breeding season .[4]

The Fawn Antechinus has a breeding season during August. Young are born in September-October in litters of up to ten, and are usually weaned by January.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The Fawn Antechinus is found in the Top End of the Northern Territory, where it is fairly common.[3] It inhabits tall, fairly open forest in the tropics.

References

  1. ^ Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M, eds. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 29. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
  2. ^ Woinarski, J. & Oakwood, M. (2008). Antechinus bellus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 09 October 2008.
  3. ^ a b Calaby, J.H. (1995). "Fawn Antechinus". In Strahan, Ronald. The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 85–86 
  4. ^ a b Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 54.