Slender-tailed dunnart

Slender-tailed dunnart

Common dunnart

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Infraclass
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Sminthopsis murina

The slender-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis murina ), also known as the common dunnart in Australia, is a dasyurid marsupial. It has an average body length of 7 to 12 centimeters (2.8–4.7 in) with a tail length of 5.5 to 13 centimetres (2.2–5.1 in). It weighs 25–40.8 grams for males and 16.5–25.4 grams for females.

Distribution

Geography

Countries
Biogeographical realms

The slender-tailed dunnart is native to the east and south-east coast and interior of Australia, from the Cape York Peninsula to the Port Lincoln area of South Australia. There are two subspecies: S. m. murina is found throughout the distribution, and S. mu. tatei found between Townsville and Cairns in Queensland. This species is found at altitudes of between 60–360 metres (196.9–1181.1 ft) and preferes habitats with an average rainfall between 30–85 centimetres (11.8–33.5 in) per year. Habitats encountered include Mallee scrub,y forests and woodlands and dry heath, these areas have sparse ground and shrub cover but have dense leaf and bark litter in Victoria to rainforest edges and swamps in Queensland.

Slender-tailed dunnart habitat map
Slender-tailed dunnart habitat map
Slender-tailed dunnart
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Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

An opportunistic arthropod feeder, found that a preference for beetles and moths with other prey less eaten than what was available.

References

1. Slender-tailed dunnart Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender-tailed_dunnart
2. Slender-tailed dunnart on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/40547/21949138

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