Long-tailed Dunnart ()

The Long-tailed Dunnart (No image available).

This very small mouse-like marsupial can be found in parts of the Gibson Desert on rocky landscapes.  It is the most common dunnart and is actually related to the Tasmanian devils.  Its fur can be different shades of gray with browner ears and cheeks.  Its belly is white and it also has a very long snout.  The distinguishing characteristic of this dunnart is, like its name implies, a very long thin tail longer in length than its body height.  The body normally measures 7 centimeters, (2.75 inches), and its head about 3 centimeters, (1.2 inches).  The tail is on average a length of 20 centimeters, (7.9 inches), and has long hair on the end of it.  Its weight is on average between 15 and 20 grams, (0.5 to 0.7 ounces). 

The long tailed dunnart is a nocturnal animal so only comes out at night to eat.  With its sharp teeth it eats spiders, beetles, geckos and even house mice.  It kills its prey by bitting it quickly and sharply.  During the day it will hide and rest in a nest made out of grass and dried leaves usually found under logs. 

Breeding season is generally between August and March.  A female can give birth after 8 to 9 months of age to up to 8 babies at a time while a male can reproduce after only 4 to 5 months.  When the babies reach about 5 grams, (0.17 ounces), in weight they are considered independent and will leave their mother to build themselves new nests and have babies of their own.  The life expectancy of the dunnart is two years for a female and about a year for a male.

The number of dunnarts in the wild is not known but we think that it is below a thousand because of changes in its habitat.

Further Information on the Long-tailed Dunnart:

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnart
http://www.ipe.nt.gov.au/news/2002/10/threatened/mammals/long_tailed_dunnart_vu.pdf
http://www.westernwildlife.com.au/western/mammals/dolichura.htm
Poignant, Axel. The Improbable Kangaroo and Other Australian Animals. Sydney: Angus & Robertson Limited, 1965.