Fawn Antechinus
Encyclopedia
The Fawn Antechinus 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.
, who gave it the species name bellus, meaning beautiful. 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.
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 .
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.
of the Northern Territory
, where it is fairly common. It inhabits tall, fairly open forest in the tropics.
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 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 only antechinus
Antechinus
Antechinus is a genus of dasyurid marsupial that is indigenous to Australia and New Guinea. The majority of Antechinus species occur in Australia and only two species have been described in New Guinea...
to be found 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 has a patchy, restricted range.
Taxonomy
The Fawn Antechinus was first described in 1904 by the renowned biologist Oldfield ThomasOldfield 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...
, who gave it the species name bellus, meaning beautiful. It has never been confused with other species.
The Fawn Antechinus is a member 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...
and of the genus Antechinus
Antechinus
Antechinus is a genus of dasyurid marsupial that is indigenous to Australia and New Guinea. The majority of Antechinus species occur in Australia and only two species have been described in New Guinea...
(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 DibblerSandstone Dibbler
The Sandstone False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus bilarni, also known as the Sandstone Pseudantechinus, the Sandstone Antechinus, the Sandstone Dibbler, Harney's Antechinus and the Northern Dibbler, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial, which has a patchy distribution in Australia's Northern...
and the Red-cheeked Dunnart
Red-cheeked Dunnart
The Red-cheeked Dunnart is so called because of the distinctive red hair on its cheek. It is an Australasian marsupial. Its total length is 167–270 mm; its average body length is 80–135 mm with a tail of 87–135 mm. Ear length is 12–13 mm. Its weight varies between 18 and...
) 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 .
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.
Distribution and habitat
The Fawn Antechinus is found in the Top EndTop End
The Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...
of 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...
, where it is fairly common. It inhabits tall, fairly open forest in the tropics.