Swamp antechinus
| Swamp antechinus[1] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Antechinus minimus from Tasmania. Stuffed specimen | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | Dasyuridae |
| Genus: | Antechinus |
| Species: | A. minimus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Antechinus minimus (É. Geoffroy, 1803)
| |
| |
| Swamp antechinus range | |
The swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus), also known as the little Tasmanian marsupial mouse, is a species of shrew-like marsupial of the family Dasyuridae and as such is related to dunnarts, quolls and the Tasmanian devil.
Taxonomy
The swamp antechinus was first described in 1803 (the first of all the
Dasyurus (quolls), hence its species name minimus, which means "smallest".[3]
There are two recognised subspecies of the Swamp Antechinus:[3]
- A. m. minimus, found in Tasmania and Bass Strait;
- A. m. maritimus, found on the mainland; this subspecies is declining and is classed as near threatened.
Habitat and distribution
The area inhabited by the subspecies A. m. maritimus is in the south of the
King Island and Flinders Island
.
The habitat for all subspecies is closed heath, wet dense heath, open forest, open heath, swampy drainages and tussock grassland with bracken and sedge growth.
Breeding and social habits
The species is
joeys. In the inland areas, mating occurs one month earlier, but the reason is not known. Few females survive a second year and all males do not live long past the mating period (Wilson et al. 1986).[4]
Diet
The swamp antechinus is an
References
- OCLC 62265494.
- .
- ^ ISBN 0-7301-0484-2.
- ISBN 0-19-550870-X.
- ISBN 0-19-553733-5.