Brown antechinus
| Brown antechinus[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | Dasyuridae |
| Genus: | Antechinus |
| Species: | A. stuartii |
| Binomial name | |
| Antechinus stuartii Macleay, 1841 | |
 | |
| Brown antechinus range | |
The brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), also known as Stuart's antechinus and Macleay's marsupial mouse, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It holds the world record for being the world's smallest semelparous mammal.[3]
Taxonomy
The brown antechinus was only the third in its genus to be described and as such has, until recently, included species such as the agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), the subtropical antechinus (Antechinus subtropicus) and the tropical antechinus (Antechinus adustus).[4] It has also been included itself with the yellow-footed antechinus as the subspecies burrelli.[5] It was described in 1841 by the entomologist William Sharp Macleay, who named the species in honour of his friend and fellow naturalist James Stuart who had discovered the animal at Spring Cove (North Head) in 1837 while working as surgeon in charge of the Quarantine Station.[6]
Size
The body length is 9.5 to 11 cm. The tail length is 10 to 12 cm.
Behavior
The brown antechinus is mostly nocturnal and is arboreal, and females build large communal nests shared by many individuals. Like all antechinuses, the males die after their first breeding season (which lasts two weeks) as a result of stress and exhaustion.[4] Female brown antechinuses do not possess a pouch; the young must attach themselves to the teats (of which there are usually eight). Its diet includes beetles, spiders, amphipods and cockroaches, although it is an opportunistic feeder.[5] The litter size is 6 to 7 young.
Distribution and habitat
The brown antechinus is found east of the Great Dividing Range in Australia, from southeastern Queensland to around Kioloa, New South Wales.[5] It is mostly found in forested habitats.[5]
References
- ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M, eds. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 30. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ↑ Burnett, S. & Dickman, C. (2008). Antechinus stuartii. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ↑ Records, Guinness World (2013). Animal Life: GWR 2013. Guinness World Records.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 56. ISBN 0-19-550870-X.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Braithwaite, R. W. (1995). "Brown Antechinus". In Strahan, Ronald. The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 94–97. ISBN 0-7301-0484-2
- ↑ Manly Quarantine Station (2007). "Manly Council Review". QS Conservation Plan 2000. Retrieved 2008-04-21.