Sandstone Dibbler
Encyclopedia
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 Territory
.
. It was described in 1954, when it was given the species name bilarni, which reflects the Aboriginal
pronunciation of Bill Harney
, an Australian writer and naturalist who accompanied the expedition.
The species has at times been assigned to the genus Antechinus
, and was long believed to be a member of the genus Parantechinus. The latter genus currently contains a single species, traditionally known as the Dibbler
(Parantechinus apicalis) in Southwest Australia
, from which this species gained a common name of Northern dibbler.
Only recently the species has been moved to Pseudantechinus, where it is one of six species.
The SSandstone False Antechinus is partly diurnal and differs from the other members of its genus in its very long, narrow muzzle and its more greyish colour. The breeding season is May-July.
and the Gulf of Carpentaria
in the Northern Territory
. It also inhabits coastal rock platforms on Marchinbar Island
.
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...
, which has a patchy distribution in 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...
's 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...
.
Taxonomy
The Sandstone False Antechinus was discovered in 1948 when it was collected on the American-Australian expedition to Arnhem LandArnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
. It was described in 1954, when it was given the species name bilarni, which reflects the Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
pronunciation of Bill Harney
William Edward Harney
William Edward Harney , also well-known as Bill Harney, was a largely self-educated Australian writer. Most of his early life was an itinerant one of poverty and hardship, punctuated by tragedy, spent mainly in the outback...
, an Australian writer and naturalist who accompanied the expedition.
The species has at times been assigned to 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...
, and was long believed to be a member of the genus Parantechinus. The latter genus currently contains a single species, traditionally known as the Dibbler
Dibbler
Dibbler is the common name for Parantechinus apicalis, an endangered species of marsupial. It is an inhabitant of the southwest mainland of Western Australia and some offshore islands. It is a member of the Dasyuromorphia order, and the only member of the genus, Parantechinus...
(Parantechinus apicalis) in Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
, from which this species gained a common name of Northern dibbler.
Only recently the species has been moved to Pseudantechinus, where it is one of six species.
Description
It is an insectivorous species that, like many other dasyurids, so exhausts itself in the breeding season that most of the males die, although unlike some other species, about 25% of both sexes survive to a second year.The SSandstone False Antechinus is partly diurnal and differs from the other members of its genus in its very long, narrow muzzle and its more greyish colour. The breeding season is May-July.
Habitat
The Sandstone False Antechinus is found in rocky areas around 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...
and the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
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...
. It also inhabits coastal rock platforms on Marchinbar Island
Marchinbar Island
Marchinbar Island is the largest island in the Wessel Islands, Northern Territory, Australia, in the Arafura Sea. It is separated from Rimbija Island, the most northeasterly of the Wessel Islands, by a narrow channel, which is less than 400 metres across at its narrowest point...
.