''Antechinus vandycki'', the Tasman Peninsula dusky antechinus, is a species of

marsupial Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals belonging to the infraclass Marsupialia. They are natively found in Australasia, Wallacea, and the Americas. One of marsupials' unique features is their reproductive strategy: the young are born in a r ...

in 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 th ...

. It was first described in 2015 by Andrew Baker and his group of scientists in southeast

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

. In October 2021, only eight specimens were known.

Description

It is large compared to other members of the genus, measuring from head to body, and weighing . Its tail no longer than its torso and head. As for its colouration, it mostly appears with a mix of brown and grey, with some colour variation on its torso and tail.

Reproduction

Breeding seasons last around two to three weeks, in which the males'

testosterone Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...

is known to cause excess production of

stress hormones Stress hormones are secreted by endocrine glands to modify one's internal environment during times of stress. By performing various functions such as mobilizing energy sources, increasing heart rate, and downregulating metabolic processes which ...

; this proves to be lethal, killing the male before any

parturition Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

occurs, practically halving the population.

Distribution, habitat and other information

This marsupial has been found in the region of Tasmania known as the

Tasman Peninsula The Tasman Peninsula, officially Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, is a peninsula located in south-east Tasmania, Australia, approximately by the Arthur Highway, south-east of Hobart. The Tasman Peninsula lies south and west of Forestier Peninsu ...

, although it is possible it also resides in the

Forestier Peninsula The Forestier Peninsula is a peninsula located in south-east Tasmania, Australia, approximately by the Arthur Highway, south-east of Hobart. The peninsula is connected to mainland Tasmania at East Bay Neck, near the town of at its northern e ...

. It is located in forests; its habitat is prone to deforestation. The

Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) is the government department of the Tasmanian Government responsible for supporting primary industry development, the protection of Tasmania's natural environment, effective ...

describes the habitat of ''Antechinus vandycki'' as "eucalypt forest and sclerophyll rainforest".

Other information

The Tasman Peninsula dusky antechinus' diet consists mainly of

invertebrates Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordate subphylum ...

, such as spiders and insects. It is a threatened species (listed as " vulnerable"), as logging hurts its habitat. It was named in honour of the Senior Curator of Mammals and Birds at Queensland Museum,

Steve Van Dyck Steve Van Dyck is the Senior Curator of vertebrates at Queensland Museum, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Steve Van Dyck was instrumental in the rediscovery of the endangered mahogany glider in 1989. Honour Steve Van Dyck has been awarde ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28808089 Marsupials of Australia Mammals of Tasmania Vulnerable fauna of Australia Mammals described in 2015 Dasyuromorphs Endemic fauna of Tasmania