dcsimg

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

provided by AnAge articles
Maximum longevity: 5.9 years (captivity) Observations: Males are only reproductively viable for one breeding season. Females in the wild can breed for a second year. One captive specimen was at least 5.9 years old when it died (Richard Weigl 2005).
license
cc-by-3.0
copyright
Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
editor
de Magalhaes, J. P.
partner site
AnAge articles

Behavior

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Brush-tailed phascogales occur are widespread but occur at low densities. Populations may be in decline but the causes are unknown. Preferred forest habitat is being destroyed and fragmented for agriculture, timber, firewood production, and mining (Nowak, 1999). Also, the introduction of feral species such as red fox and domestic cats have a negative influence on Phascogale tapoatafa populations as these two feral species act as predators. As a result, brush-tailed phascogales have disappeared from approximately half of their original range (Soderquist, 1995).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

They have been known to raid chicken farms but the benefits of pest regulation seem to outweigh any negative impact they may have.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Benefits

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Phascogale tapoatafa is considered effective at helping to control insect and rodent pest populations since it is a natural predator of these animals.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Trophic Strategy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Brush-tailed phascogales are mostly carnivorous. They hunt and kill small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, spiders, and centipedes. They have been know to kill and eat chickens, and they generally avoid eating carrion. Phascogale tapoatafa can be arboreal and has been known to feed on the nectar of eucalyptus flowers (Nowak, 1999).

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Distribution

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Phascogale topoatafa has a fragmented distribution, being found in various parts of Australia, including northern and southwestern Western Australia, northernmost Northern Territory, northern and southeastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, the southern parts of Victoria, the Cape York peninsula, and isolated parts of South Australia (Nowak, 1991). There is some evidence of Phascogale tapoatafa in East Gippsland, though this has not been confirmed.

Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Habitat

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Brush-tailed phascogales prefer eucalyptus forests in Australia for foraging grounds and nesting sites. They inhabit both humid and arid regions and dense to open forest (Nowak, 1999). Preferred habitat is open, dry schlerophyll forest with little ground cover and average rainfall between 500 and 2000mm (Strahan, 1983). Hollow trees are preferred for nesting sites (Nowak, 1999).

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; scrub forest

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Life Expectancy

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Average lifespan
Sex: male
Status: captivity:
3.0 years.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Morphology

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Brush-tailed phascogales are squirrel-sized marsupial mice with a head and body length (excluding the tail) of between 160-230mm. Tail length varies from 170-220mm, or roughly half of body length. They weigh between 110-235 grams, the largest wild specimen known weighed 311 grams. Males tend to be heavier on average than females and this sexual dimorphism first appears at the age of eight months (Nowak, 1999). They are a deep grey color on their dorsal surface and creamy, pale white on the venter. The tail is dark black and it is characterized by having long, black, silky hairs that cover the terminal portion. These long hairs are erected during normal activity producing a "bottle-brush effect" (Nowak, 1999). The erected tail hairs is thought to distract the attention of predators away from the body (Soderquist, 1994). The ears are large and almost lacking hair. Females have eight mammae and lack a true pouch. The pouch consists of a heavy fold of skin covered with coarse, brown hair.

Range mass: 110 to 311 g.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.694 W.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Reproduction

provided by Animal Diversity Web

Females nest in up to 30 different sites every year (Grzimek, 1990). Nests are found in hollow trees or tree stumps and under flaking bark. Competition is fierce for these limited resources Nowak, 1999). Mating takes place in early winter and males typically die after breeding at the age of 11-12 months. This is the largest known mammal in which males die after their first breeding season. It is believed that the energy expended in competition for mates leaves males susceptible to stress-induced diseases. Gestation period is roughly 30 days. Litters of seven to eight young are born and remain in the pouch for seven weeks. Young then stay in the nest until they are about 5 months old while the mother forages for food (Millis, 1999). Females raise one litter (sometimes two) in their lifetime, as they typically die in their second year. Females show dominance over males despite their smaller size and they seem to mate with a partner of their choice (MacDonald, 1984). The estrus cycle of females is roughly 40 days, and male spermatogenesis ceases before breeding while testosterone levels remain high (Millis, 1999).

Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual

Average gestation period: 29 days.

Average number of offspring: 6.4.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male:
365 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female:
365 days.

license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
bibliographic citation
Bugby, C. 2001. "Phascogale tapoatafa" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Phascogale_tapoatafa.html
author
Christoph Bugby, St. Lawrence University
editor
Erika Barthelmess, St. Lawrence University
original
visit source
partner site
Animal Diversity Web

Brush-tailed phascogale

provided by wikipedia EN

The brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), also known by its Australian native name tuan,[3] the common wambenger, the black-tailed mousesack[4] 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. Males of this species do not live past the age of one, as they die after reproducing.

Taxonomy

The brush-tailed phascogale was first described by Friedrich Meyer in 1793; George Shaw published a revised description in 1800. For some time it was considered a member of the opossum genus Didelphis, but this ended in 1844 when Coenraad Jacob Temminck erected the genus Phascogale. The species is closely related to the red-tailed phascogale (P. calura). Its scientific name, tapoatafa, is a reference to an indigenous Australian name for the species. It has sometimes been known as Phascogale penicillata, referring to its brushed tail. In 2015 three subspecies were identified, and the previous subspecies P. t. pirata was confirmed as a separate species P. pirata:[5][6]

  • P. t. tapoatafa, found in southeast Australia from South Australia to mid-coastal Queensland;
  • P. t. wambenger, found in southwest Western Australia;
  • P. t. kimberleyensis, found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The subspecies that the population in Cape York Peninsula represents has yet to be identified.

Description

This phascogale is grey. Its tail is covered with long black hairs on the lower half that can erect, causing it to appear similar to a bottle brush.[7] Body length is between 16 and 27 cm (6.3 and 10.6 in) with a 16 to 24 cm tail. Males, which can reach up to 310 grams (11 oz), are larger than females, normally weighing less than 210 g.[8]

Distribution and habitat

The brush-tailed phascogale has a widespread but fragmented distribution throughout all states of Australia, excluding Tasmania. As a result of habitat destruction and predation by the red fox and feral cat, they are believed to have disappeared from roughly half of their former range. The species is considered very vulnerable to localised extinction.[9]

It is listed as a vulnerable species on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 (TSC Act, NSW). However the IUCN Red List lists it only as near threatened, and it does not have an EPBC Act status.

Diet

This species is a nocturnal and arboreal hunter. It is an opportunistic generalist that predominantly eats invertebrates,[10] though it also eats smaller mammals, birds, and lizards.[7] It also drinks nectar from flowering trees.[7] Consumption of bird eggs has also been recorded.[11] The species has been reported to attack domestic poultry.[12][13]

The Brush-tailed phascogale is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Australiformis semoni.[14]

Reproduction

Breeding occurs between June and August when the females come into estrus. All male brush-tailed phascogales die before reaching one year of age, generally from stress-related diseases brought about by the energy expended in a bout of frenzied mating.[7] However, some captive males have lived to the age of three, though they were reproductively unviable after the first year.[7] Females nest in hollow trees, bearing litters of 7 to 8 young which stay in the nest to the age of 5 months.

References

  1. ^ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 32. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J. (2020). "Phascogale tapoatafa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T16890A166495589. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T16890A166495589.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  3. ^ Chambers English Dictionary.
  4. ^ A Hollow Victory – The Morabool News
  5. ^ Aplin, Kenneth Peter; Rhind, Susan G.; Ten Have, J.; Chesser, Robert Terry (2015). "Taxonomic revision of Phascogale tapoatafa (Meyer, 1793) (Dasyuridae; Marsupialia), including descriptions of two new subspecies and confirmation of P. pirata Thomas, 1904 as a 'Top End' endemic". Zootaxa. 4055 (1): 1–73. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4055.1.1. PMID 26701461.
  6. ^ Jackson, Stephen; Groves, Colin (2015). Taxonomy of Australian mammals. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 9781486300129.
  7. ^ a b c d e Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. pp. 227. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
  8. ^ [1] arkive.org
  9. ^ Soderquist, T. (1995). "Brush-tailed Phascogale". In Strahan, Ronald (ed.). The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 0-7301-0484-2.
  10. ^ Scarff, FR; Rhind, SG; Bradley, JS (1998). "Diet and foraging behaviour of brush-tailed phascogales (Phascogale tapoatafa) in the jarrah forest of south-western Australia". Wildlife Research. 25 (5): 511–526. doi:10.1071/WR98007. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  11. ^ Terry, William; Golden, Albert (2019). "An observation of nest robbing and bird predation by wild Brush-tailed Phascogales in central Victoria". Australian Zoologist. 40 (2): 237. doi:10.7882/AZ.2019.003.
  12. ^ "Attacks on Poultry". Warwick Daily News (Qld. : 1919 -1954). 8 June 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  13. ^ "He's Playing Possum With the Poultry". Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954). 24 June 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. ^ Schmidt, Gerald D.; Edmonds, Stanley J. (1989). "Australiformis semoni (Linstow, 1898) n. Gen., n. Comb. (Acanthocephala: Moniliformidae) from Marsupials of Australia and New Guinea". The Journal of Parasitology. 75 (2): 215–7. doi:10.2307/3282769. JSTOR 3282769. PMID 2926590.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Brush-tailed phascogale: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), also known by its Australian native name tuan, the common wambenger, the black-tailed mousesack 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. Males of this species do not live past the age of one, as they die after reproducing.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN