Red-tailed Phascogale
Encyclopedia
The Red-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale calura), also known as the Red-tailed Wambenger, is a small carnivorous marsupial
found in central and western Australia
. It is closely related to the Brush-tailed Phascogale
(Phascogale tapoatafa), but is smaller and browner.
genus, the other being the Brush-tailed Phascogale
(P. tapoatafa). The species was described in 1844 by naturalist
and artist
John Gould
. Its scientific name means "beautiful-tailed pouched-weasel".
. As in the Brush-tailed Phascogale, male Red-tailed Phascogales die following their first mating as a result of stress-related diseases. Males rarely live past 11.5 months, although females can live to three years old. Captive males can also survive up to three years. An arboreal species, the Red-tailed Phascogale has a varied diet, and can feed on insect
s and spider
s, but also small birds and small mammals, notably the House Mouse
(Mus musculus); it does not drink as its water is retained through its food.
n wheatbelt
, and is classified as near threatened
by the IUCN Red List
and endangered by the Australian EPBC Act. It is found in dense and tall climax vegetation
, and appears to prefer those containing the Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo
) and the Rock Sheoak (Allocasuarina huegeliana), as it has developed a resistance to the fluoroacetate the plants produce that is lethal to livestock. Most native animals have a resistance to this fluoracetate, but introduced species, like the Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes), do not, so it has been suggested that the Red-tailed Phascogale's survival in these areas could be attributed to this chemical.
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 central and western 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 closely related to the Brush-tailed Phascogale
Brush-tailed Phascogale
The Brush-tailed Phascogale , also known as the Tuan, the Common Wambenger or the Black-tailed Phascogale, is a rat-sized arboreal carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail...
(Phascogale tapoatafa), but is smaller and browner.
Taxonomy
The Red-tailed Phascogale is one of only two members of the phascogalePhascogale
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...
genus, the other being the Brush-tailed Phascogale
Brush-tailed Phascogale
The Brush-tailed Phascogale , also known as the Tuan, the Common Wambenger or the Black-tailed Phascogale, is a rat-sized arboreal carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail...
(P. tapoatafa). The species was described in 1844 by naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
John Gould
John 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...
. Its scientific name means "beautiful-tailed pouched-weasel".
Description
The Red-tailed Phascogale is smaller and browner than its close relative the Brush-tailed PhascogaleBrush-tailed Phascogale
The Brush-tailed Phascogale , also known as the Tuan, the Common Wambenger or the Black-tailed Phascogale, is a rat-sized arboreal carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, characterized by a tuft of black silky hairs on the terminal portion of its tail...
. As in the Brush-tailed Phascogale, male Red-tailed Phascogales die following their first mating as a result of stress-related diseases. Males rarely live past 11.5 months, although females can live to three years old. Captive males can also survive up to three years. An arboreal species, the Red-tailed Phascogale has a varied diet, and can feed on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and 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, but also small birds and small mammals, notably the House Mouse
House mouse
The house mouse is a small rodent, a mouse, one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus.As a wild animal the house mouse mainly lives associated with humans, causing damage to crops and stored food....
(Mus musculus); it does not drink as its water is retained through its food.
Distribution and habitat
The Red-tailed Phascogale was formerly widespread throughout central and western Australia but is now restricted to the southern Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n wheatbelt
Wheatbelt
A wheat belt is an agricultural region predominantly dedicated to the growing of wheat--98.77.166.159 23:27, 21 November 2011 also has lots of corn and crops to deal with to.It may more specifically refer to:* Wheat belt...
, and is classified as near threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
and endangered by the Australian EPBC Act. It is found in dense and tall climax vegetation
Climax vegetation
Climax vegetation is the vegetation which establishes itself on a given site for given climatic conditions in the absence of anthropic action after a long time ....
, and appears to prefer those containing the Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo
Eucalyptus wandoo
Eucalyptus wandoo is a medium-sized tree widely distributed in southwest Western Australia.-Description:It grows as a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 metres in height. It has smooth bark, often in mottled patches of white, light grey, light brown light yellow and pink...
) and the Rock Sheoak (Allocasuarina huegeliana), as it has developed a resistance to the fluoroacetate the plants produce that is lethal to livestock. Most native animals have a resistance to this fluoracetate, but introduced species, like the Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
(Vulpes vulpes), do not, so it has been suggested that the Red-tailed Phascogale's survival in these areas could be attributed to this chemical.
External links
- AustralianFauna.com
- Australian Department of Environment and Heritage Species Profiles, features distribution map