Alexandria False Antechinus
Encyclopedia
The Alexandria False Antechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus), 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 antechinus
es.
(P. macdonnellensis) ever since it was first described by Oldfield Thomas
in 1906. W.D.L. Ride suppressed the species in 1971, placing it with the Fat-tailed False Antechinus, but it was restored by D.J. Kitchener in 1991. Its scientific name means "little mimic of false-antechinus".
The Alexandria False Antechinus is a member of the dasyurid family. It is closely related to the other species of false antechinus
.
es is its small size. The behaviour of this species has not been described.
; Alexandria Station on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory
; and three small islands in the Sir Edward Pellew Group, in the north-east of the territory. In 2009 it was recorded from Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary
in the Northern Territory. It inhabits stony hillsides with woodland and spinifex
grass.
. On the offshore islands it inhabits, it is fairly common; however, it is rare and, in 1995, had not been seen on the mainland since 1905, when it was discovered.
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
, found only in a number of small, isolated localities in northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the smallest and rarest of the false antechinus
False antechinus
The genus Pseudantechinus are members of the Dasyuromorphia order. They are often called false antechinuses, although this genus includes the Sandstone Dibbler, which was previously assigned to a different genus....
es.
Taxonomy
The Alexandria False Antechinus has had a long history of confusion with the Fat-tailed False AntechinusFat-tailed False Antechinus
The Fat-tailed False Antechinus , also called the Fat-tailed Pseudantechinus and Red-eared Antechinus, is a member of the Dasyuromorphia order...
(P. macdonnellensis) ever since it was first described by Oldfield Thomas
Oldfield Thomas
Oldfield Thomas FRS was a British zoologist.Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and sub-species for the first time. He was appointed to the Museum Secretary's office in 1876, transferring to the Zoological Department in 1878...
in 1906. W.D.L. Ride suppressed the species in 1971, placing it with the Fat-tailed False Antechinus, but it was restored by D.J. Kitchener in 1991. Its scientific name means "little mimic of false-antechinus".
The Alexandria False Antechinus is a member of the dasyurid family. It is closely related to the other species of false antechinus
False antechinus
The genus Pseudantechinus are members of the Dasyuromorphia order. They are often called false antechinuses, although this genus includes the Sandstone Dibbler, which was previously assigned to a different genus....
.
Description
The Alexandria False Antechinus is coloured buff brown above and greyish white below. Its main distinguishing feature from other false antechinusFalse antechinus
The genus Pseudantechinus are members of the Dasyuromorphia order. They are often called false antechinuses, although this genus includes the Sandstone Dibbler, which was previously assigned to a different genus....
es is its small size. The behaviour of this species has not been described.
Habitat
This species is found only in five localities: near Mount Isa in northwestern QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
; Alexandria Station on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
; and three small islands in the Sir Edward Pellew Group, in the north-east of the territory. In 2009 it was recorded from Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary
Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary
Pungalina-Seven Emu Sanctuary is a 3060 km2 nature reserve in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy which purchased Pungalina Station in 2009, with some assistance from the Wildlife Australia Fund. It adjoins the Gulf of Carpentaria near the...
in the Northern Territory. It inhabits stony hillsides with woodland and spinifex
Spinifex
Spinifex may refer to:* Spinifex , a genus of grass which is indigenous to the coastal areas of Australasia and Indonesia* Triodia , a hummock grass of arid Australia, covering twenty percent of the Australian continent ** Spinifex resin* Spinifex people, or Pila Nguru, an Australian...
grass.
Conservation status
The Alexandria False Antechinus has a very limited distribution, which has resulted in its classification by the IUCN as endangeredEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. On the offshore islands it inhabits, it is fairly common; however, it is rare and, in 1995, had not been seen on the mainland since 1905, when it was discovered.