Brown Antechinus
Encyclopedia
The Brown Antechinus also known as Stuart's Antechinus and Macleay's Marsupial Mouse, is a species of small carnivorous marsupial
of the family Dasyuridae
.
(Antechinus agilis), the Subtropical Antechinus
(Antechinus subtropicus) and the Tropical Antechinus
(Antechinus adustus). It has also been included itself with the Yellow-footed Antechinus
as the subspecies burrelli. It was described in 1841 by the entomologist William Sharp Macleay
, who named the species in honour of his friend and fellow naturalist James Stuart
who had discovered the animal at Spring Cove (North Head) in 1837 while working as surgeon in charge of the Quarantine Station.
es, male Brown Antechinuses die after their first breeding season (which lasts two weeks) as a result of stress and exhaustion. Female Brown Antechinuses do not possess a pouch
; the young must attach themselves to the teats (of which there are usually eight). Its diet includes beetle
s, spider
s, amphipods and cockroach
es, although it is an opportunistic feeder. The litter size is 6 to 7 young.
in Australia
, from southeastern Queensland
to around Kioloa, New South Wales
. It is mostly found in forested habitats.
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...
.
Taxonomy
The Brown Antechinus was only the third in its genus to be described and as such has, until recently, included species such as the Agile AntechinusAgile Antechinus
The Agile Antechinus is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It is found in Australia.-Taxonomy:...
(Antechinus agilis), the Subtropical Antechinus
Subtropical Antechinus
The Subtropical Antechinus is a species of small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was previously thought to be conspecific with the Brown Antechinus ....
(Antechinus subtropicus) and the Tropical Antechinus
Tropical Antechinus
The Tropical Antechinus , also known as the Rusty Antechinus, is a species of small marsupial carnivore, particularly closely related to the Brown Antechinus ....
(Antechinus adustus). It has also been included itself with the Yellow-footed Antechinus
Yellow-footed Antechinus
thumb|250pxThe Yellow-footed Antechinus , also known as the Mardo, is a shrew-like marsupial found in Australia. One notable feature of the species is its sexual behavior...
as the subspecies burrelli. It was described in 1841 by the entomologist William Sharp Macleay
William Sharp MacLeay
William Sharp Macleay was a British civil servant and entomologist.-Early life:Macleay was born in London, eldest son of Alexander Macleay who named him for his then business partner, fellow wine merchant William Sharp. He attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge graduating with...
, who named the species in honour of his friend and fellow naturalist James Stuart
James Stuart (1802-1842)
James Stuart , after which the Brown Antechinus was named in 1841 by the entomologist William Sharp Macleay, was one of the first Quarantine Officers at Sydney's North Head Quarantine Station....
who had discovered the animal at Spring Cove (North Head) in 1837 while working as surgeon in charge of the Quarantine Station.
Behavior
The Brown Antechinus is mostly nocturnal and is arboreal, and females build large communal nests shared by many individuals. Like all antechinusAntechinus
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...
es, male Brown Antechinuses die after their first breeding season (which lasts two weeks) as a result of stress and exhaustion. Female Brown Antechinuses do not possess a pouch
Pouch (marsupial)
The pouch is a distinguishing feature of female marsupials ; the name marsupial is derived from the Latin marsupium, meaning "pouch". Marsupials give birth to a live but relatively undeveloped fetus called a joey. When the joey is born it crawls from inside the mother to the pouch...
; the young must attach themselves to the teats (of which there are usually eight). Its diet includes beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, amphipods and cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
es, although it is an opportunistic feeder. The litter size is 6 to 7 young.
Distribution and habitat
The Brown Antechinus is found east of the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
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...
, from southeastern Queensland
Queensland
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...
to around Kioloa, New South Wales
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...
. It is mostly found in forested habitats.