Kultarr
Encyclopedia
The Kultarr also known as the Jerboa-marsupial, the Jerboa Pouched-mouse, the Wuhl-wuhl or the Pitchi-pitchi, is a member of the Dasyuromorphia
order
. It is the only species in the Antechinomys genus. Native to central and southern Australia
, it lives in a range of habitats including scattered woodland and scrubby semidesert.
, who placed it in the genus Phascogale
. It was placed in the dunnart
genus Sminthopsis for some time until it was confirmed, on the basis of molecular findings, that it belonged in its own genus, Antechinomys (meaning "antechinus
-mouse"), which had been described by Gerard Krefft in 1867. Its other common names refer to its superficial similarity to jerboa
s; the species has also been compared to the Australia
n hopping mice
.
The Kultarr has often been considered as two species in the past, A. laniger in the east and A. spenceri in the west. The latter is now relegated to subspecific status. The species name laniger means "woolly".
The Kultarr is a solitary carnivore
, feeding mostly on terrestrial invertebrate
s including cockroach
es, spider
s and cricket
s. Mating occurs in winter and spring, with young being born around August-November. The species nests in soil cracks or utilises abandoned burrows of other species.
, although its range has decreased in recent years. Isolated populations at Cedar Bay in Queensland
and in southern New South Wales
are believed to be extinct.
Kultarrs are found in arid gibber plains, claypans and sandy desert; isolated populations have inhabitated salt marsh
.
Dasyuromorphia
The order Dasyuromorphia comprises most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the numbat, the Tasmanian devil, and the recently extinct thylacine...
order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
. It is the only species in the Antechinomys genus. Native to central and southern 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 lives in a range of habitats including scattered woodland and scrubby semidesert.
Taxonomy
The Kultarr was described in 1856 by John GouldJohn Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, who placed it in 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...
. It was placed in the dunnart
Dunnart
Dunnarts are furry narrow-footed marsupials the size of a mouse, members of the genus Sminthopsis. They are mainly insectivorous. A male dunnart's Y chromosome has only 4 genes, making it the smallest known mammalian Y chromosome....
genus Sminthopsis for some time until it was confirmed, on the basis of molecular findings, that it belonged in its own genus, Antechinomys (meaning "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...
-mouse"), which had been described by Gerard Krefft in 1867. Its other common names refer to its superficial similarity to jerboa
Jerboa
The jerboa form the bulk of the membership of the family Dipodidae. Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout Asia and Northern Africa. They tend to be found in hot deserts....
s; the species has also been compared to the 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...
n hopping mice
Hopping mouse
A hopping mouse is any of about ten different Australian native mice in the genus Notomys. They are rodents, not marsupials, and their ancestors are thought to have arrived from Asia about 5 million years ago....
.
The Kultarr has often been considered as two species in the past, A. laniger in the east and A. spenceri in the west. The latter is now relegated to subspecific status. The species name laniger means "woolly".
Description
The Kultarr usually measures 7-10cm, with a 10-15cm tail. It weighs 20-30g; males are larger and heavier than females. The most distinctive features are the large four-toed hind legs, enabling a hopping motion, and prominent ears. It is coloured fawn grey to sandy brown above, with a white chest and darker eye-ring.The Kultarr is a solitary carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, feeding mostly on terrestrial invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s including 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, 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 and cricket
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
s. Mating occurs in winter and spring, with young being born around August-November. The species nests in soil cracks or utilises abandoned burrows of other species.
Distribution and habitat
The Kultarr is an uncommon species found throughout much of arid 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...
, although its range has decreased in recent years. Isolated populations at Cedar Bay in 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...
and in southern 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...
are believed to be extinct.
Kultarrs are found in arid gibber plains, claypans and sandy desert; isolated populations have inhabitated salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
.