The agile antechinus (''Antechinus agilis'') is a species of small carnivorous
marsupial
Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a ...
of the family
Dasyuridae
The Dasyuridae are a family of marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, including 71 extant species divided into 17 genera. Many are small and mouse-like or shrew-like, giving some of them the name marsupial mice or marsupial shrews, but ...
. It is found in
Australia.
Taxonomy
The agile antechinus was long considered to be a form of the
brown antechinus (''Antechinus stuartii''), and was only recognised as a distinct species after a study of
genetic variation
Genetic variation is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations. The multiple sources of genetic variation include mutation and genetic recombination. Mutations are the ultimate sources of genetic variation, b ...
within the brown antechinus in 1980.
However, it was not formally described until 1998.
Characteristics
The agile antechinus is nearly indistinguishable from the brown antechinus, but it is slightly smaller and its fur has a more greyish tinge.
[ It feeds mostly on ]invertebrate
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
s, including beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
s, spider
Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species d ...
s and cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...
es, but may also devour small lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...
s and soft berries
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...
. The species has been known to enter torpor
Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the tim ...
in response to shortages of food.[ Like all ]antechinus
''Antechinus'' (// ('ant-echinus')) is a genus of small dasyurid marsupial endemic to Australia. They resemble mice with the bristly fur of shrews.
Names
They are also sometimes called 'broad-footed marsupial mice', 'pouched mice', or 'Antech ...
es, the agile antechinus has a short and violent breeding season, after which the males all die.[Shimmin, Glenn A., David A. Taggart, and Peter D. Temple-Smith.]
Mating behaviour in the agile antechinus Antechinus agilis (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae)
" Journal of Zoology 258.1 (2002): 39–48. The females give birth after a 27-day gestation
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during preg ...
.[ Groups of up to 20 have been known to nest together.][
]
Distribution and habitat
The agile antechinus inhabits wet or moist forest in the southeastern corner of Australia.plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...
s, harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most lab ...
ing, controlled burning
A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...
and the introduction of the cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
and the red fox.[ Despite these threats, there is no indication that the species is at all threatened.][
]
Gallery
File:Antechinus agilis Gould.jpg, From John Gould
John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, ...
's ''Mammals of Australia''
File:Agile Antechinus (Antechinus agilis) showing offspring inside.jpg, Female with offspring inside
File:Agile Antechinus (Antechinus agilis) on cloth, close-up from front.jpg, Close-up
References
External links
Photos of agile antechinus
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134343
Dasyuromorphs
Mammals of New South Wales
Mammals of Victoria (Australia)
Marsupials of Australia
Mammals described in 1998