Brush-tailed Phascogale
Encyclopedia
The Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), also known as the Tuan, the Common Wambenger or the Black-tailed Phascogale, is a rat-sized arboreal carnivorous marsupial
of the family Dasyuridae
, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail. Males of this species do not live past the age of one, as they die after reproducing.
published a revised description in 1800. For some time it was considered a member of the opossum genus Didelphis
, but this ended in 1844 when Coenraad Jacob Temminck
erected the genus Phascogale
. The species is closely related to the Red-tailed Phascogale
(P. calura). Its scientific name, tapoatafa, is a reference to an indigenous Australian
name for the species. It has sometimes been known as Phascogale penicillata, referring to its brushed tail. There are two subspecies:
, excluding Tasmania
. As a result of habitat destruction
and predation by the Red Fox
and feral Cat
, they are believed to have disappeared from roughly half of their former range. The species is considered very vulnerable to localised extinction
.
It is listed as a vulnerable species
on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 (TSC Act, NSW
). However the IUCN Red List
lists it only as near threatened
, and it does not have a EPBC Act status.
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...
of the family Dasyuridae
Dasyuridae
Dasyuridae is a family of marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including 61 species divided into 15 genera. Many are small and mouse-like, giving them the misnomer marsupial mice, but the group also includes the cat-sized quolls, as well as the Tasmanian Devil...
, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail. Males of this species do not live past the age of one, as they die after reproducing.
Taxonomy
The Brush-tailed Phascogale was first described by F. Meyer in 1793; George ShawGeorge Shaw
George Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University...
published a revised description in 1800. For some time it was considered a member of the opossum genus Didelphis
Didelphis
The six species in the genus Didelphis, commonly known as large American opossums, are members of the Didelphimorphia order....
, but this ended in 1844 when Coenraad Jacob Temminck
Coenraad Jacob Temminck
Coenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
erected the genus Phascogale
Phascogale
The Phascogales , also known as Wambengers, are carnivorous Australian marsupials of the family Dasyuridae. There are two species: the Brush-tailed Phascogale and the Red-tailed Phascogale...
. The species is closely related to the Red-tailed Phascogale
Red-tailed Phascogale
The Red-tailed Phascogale , also known as the Red-tailed Wambenger, is a small carnivorous marsupial found in central and western Australia...
(P. calura). Its scientific name, tapoatafa, is a reference to an indigenous Australian
name for the species. It has sometimes been known as Phascogale penicillata, referring to its brushed tail. There are two subspecies:
- P. t. tapoatafa, found in southern Australia;
- P. t. pirata, found in northern Australia.
Description
This phascogale is black. Its tail is covered with long black hairs on the lower half that can erect, causing it to appear similar to a bottle brush.Distribution and habitat
The Brush-tailed Phascogale has a widespread but fragmented distribution throughout all states of AustraliaAustralia
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...
, excluding Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. As a result of habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and predation by the Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
and feral Cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, they are believed to have disappeared from roughly half of their former range. The species is considered very vulnerable to localised extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
It is listed as a vulnerable species
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 (TSC Act, NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
). However the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
lists it only as near threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
, and it does not have a EPBC Act status.
Diet
This species is a nocturnal and arboreal hunter. It eats smaller mammals, birds, lizards, and insects, particularly spiders. It also drinks nectar from flowering trees.Reproduction
Breeding occurs between June and August when the females come into estrus. All male Brush-tailed Phascogales die before reaching one year of age, generally from stress-related diseases brought about by the energy expended in a bout of frenzied mating. However, some captive males have lived to the age of three, though they were reproductively unviable after the first year. Females nest in hollow trees, bearing litters of 7 to 8 young which stay in the nest to the age of 5 months.External links
- Brush-tailed Phascogale, the National Parks and Wildlife ServiceNational Parks and Wildlife ServiceNational Parks and Wildlife Service may refer to:* National Parks and Wildlife Service * National Parks and Wildlife Service * National Parks and Wildlife Service * Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service...
of New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , 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...
. - "Writing their names in ink", Brush-tailed phascogale survey, Foundation for National Parks & WildlifeFoundation for National Parks & WildlifeThe Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is an Australian not-for-profit, non-government organisation that was incorporated on 29 June 1970. Its purpose is to foster the protection of Australia's native plants, animals and cultural heritage through fundraising for environmental education and...
. - Foundation of National Parks and Wildlife Brush-tailed Phascogale Project, Brush-tailed Phascogale information and image Foundation for National Parks & WildlifeFoundation for National Parks & WildlifeThe Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is an Australian not-for-profit, non-government organisation that was incorporated on 29 June 1970. Its purpose is to foster the protection of Australia's native plants, animals and cultural heritage through fundraising for environmental education and...
.