The kultarr (''Antechinomys laniger'') (also called the "
jerboa
Jerboas (from ar, جربوع ') are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.
When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on b ...
-marsupial" or marsupial jerboa) is a small insectivorous nocturnal marsupial inhabiting the arid interior of Australia. Preferred habitat includes stony deserts, shrubland, woodland, grassland and open plains.
[Van Dyck, S., Strahan, R., 2008. The mammals of Australia / edited by Steve van Dyck and Ronald Strahan.] The kultarr has a range of adaptations to help cope with Australia's harsh arid environment including
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 time ...
similar to
hibernation
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
that helps conserve energy.
The species has declined across its former range since European settlement due to changes in land management practices and introduced predators.
[Menkhorst, P., 2004. A field guide to the mammals of Australia / Peter Menkhorst, Frank Knight.]
Description
The kultarr is a small
carnivorous
A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...
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 po ...
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 th ...
with unique morphological features. It is
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, hunting a variety of
invertebrates
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 ...
including
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 ...
s,
crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
and
cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a 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 well-known as ...
es. During the day it shelters in a burrows in hollow logs, beneath grass tussocks, at the base of shrubs and trees or cracks in the soil.
Males weigh between 17-30 grams and 80–100 mm in length. Females are slightly smaller between 14–29 grams and 70–95 mm in length. They have a brown or fawn-sandy color, with a white underside.
The kultarr has a long tail with a distinctive dark brush-like tip. The muzzle is sharply pointed and the eyes and ears are particularly large; the eyes have dark rings around them.
It has distinguishing elongated hind legs having four toes similar to
macropodid
Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and are n ...
s. The hind legs are designed for a
bipedal
Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' 'double' ...
or hopping style movement,
[Troughton, E., 1973. Furred animals of Australia / yEllis Troughton ; With twenty-five plates in colour by Neville W. Cayley - Charles Sturt University WW Document URL http://primo.unilinc.edu.au/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=alma7146565230002351&indx=1&recIds=alma7146565230002351&recIdxs=0&elementId=0&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&fctN=facet_frbrgroupid&dscnt=0&rfnGrp=frbr&frbg=978518866&scp.scps=scope%3A%28DTL_CSU_UNLOCKED%29%2Cscope%3A%28CSU%29%2Cscope%3A%28CSU_DTL_OPEN%29%2Cscope%3A%28CSU_EQUELLA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&fctV=978518866&tab=default_tab&dstmp=1440846295358&vl(96177725UI0)=any&srt=rank&cs=frb&mode=Basic&lastPagIndx=1&dum=true&lastPag=&frbrSrt=date&vl(1UIStartWith0)=contains&vl(freeText0)=Furred%20Animals%20of%20Australia.%20Australia&vid=CSU&gathStatIcon=true (accessed 8.29.15).] used to evade predators and catch prey such as insects.
Kultarrs have been recorded moving at speeds of 13.8 km/h in open country.
Taxonomy
The kultarr is the sole member of the genus ''Antechinomys'' 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 th ...
.
Originally collected by Sir
Thomas Mitchell in New South Wales, it was subsequently described as ''Phascogale lanigera'' by
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, ...
in 1856.
![Antechinomys lanigera - Gould](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Antechinomys_lanigera_-_Gould.jpg)
It was then moved into its own genus, ''Antechinomys'', by Krefft in 1867 and in 1888 the species was formally named ''Antechinomys laniger''.
[NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, 2002. Kultarr (Antechinomys laniger) Recovery Plan.][Office of environment and heritage, 2012. Kultarr - profile , NSW Environment & Heritage WW Document URL http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10057 (accessed 8.30.15).]
In 1906 a second species of ''Antechinomys'' was described from specimens collected from an expedition to central Australia, classified as ''Antechinomys spenceri''.
Extensive discussion regarding the taxonomy of the genus followed. In 1981 it was proposed that ''Antechinomys'' was not distinct enough from ''
Sminthopsis
Dunnart is a common name for species of the genus ''Sminthopsis'', narrow-footed marsupials the size of a European mouse. They have a largely insectivorous diet.
Taxonomy
The genus name ''Sminthopsis'' was published by Oldfield Thomas in 18 ...
''; subsequent
isozyme In biochemistry, isozymes (also known as isoenzymes or more generally as multiple forms of enzymes) are enzymes that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyze the same chemical reaction. Isozymes usually have different kinetic parameters (e.g. dif ...
and
mitochondrial
A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is use ...
analysis proved the theory to be incorrect.
''A. laniger laniger'' and ''A. laniger spenceri'' are now accepted as being subspecies with minor morphological differences, both occurring in different geographic ranges.
''A. laniger laniger'' occurs in eastern Australia while ''A. laniger spenceri'' is found in western and central Australia.
Morphological differences include ''A. laniger spenceri'' being paler in colour and heavier compared to ''A. laniger laniger''.
Distribution
The kultarr occurs across a vast area of semi-arid and arid Australia but has since declined from parts of its former range
and is now uncommon with populations suffering seasonal fluctuations.
The kultarr has disappeared from
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and southern
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
at the
Murray-Darling junction.
Populations in south-east
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, Cedar Bay in north
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
and western Queensland have also disappeared.
Populations in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
and
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
appear to be stable.
Kultarr populations around
Cobar
Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining. The town is by road northwest of the state capital, Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way and Barrier Hig ...
in western
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
continue to persist, being regionally important for
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...
of the species.
Recent sightings of kultarrs occurred in 2015 at
Nombinnie Nature Reserve
The Nombinnie Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve in central New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_typ ...
in Central Western NSW. These sightings are significant as the species has not been sighted in the area for over 20 years.
[Heritage, corporateName=Office of E. and, 2015. Mystery Marsupial spotted at Nombinnie Nature Reserve WW Document URL http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/media/OEHMedia15071401.htm (accessed 8.29.15).]
Ecology and behavior
Life cycle and reproduction
The lifespan of kultarrs in the wild is unknown however in captivity they can live up to 5 years.
The kultarr has distinct geographical variations in breeding seasons. Breeding and the onset of
estrus
The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
occurs in the second half of the year in eastern populations with western populations occurring slightly later.
Males are sexually mature at 9–10 months and females at 11–12 months. Female are
polyestrous
The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
, having the ability to enter
estrus
The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
multiple times in a breeding season.
The kultarr has a crescent shaped pouch consisting of small folds of skin with six to eight teats. The young are carried in the pouch for up to 20 days, after this they hold on to the mother's back whilst she forages or are left in the burrow.
![CSIRO ScienceImage 1446 Spinifex Plain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/CSIRO_ScienceImage_1446_Spinifex_Plain.jpg)
Both subspecies have different numbers of teats with ''A. laniger laniger'' having eight and ''A. laniger spenceri'' having six. This can be used to differentiate between the two
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
.
Captive breeding
Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that ...
and rearing of kultarr is problematic and difficult.
Home range and movement
![CSIRO ScienceImage 40 An Australian plague locust Chortoicetes terminifera](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/CSIRO_ScienceImage_40_An_Australian_plague_locust_Chortoicetes_terminifera.jpg)
Kultarrs
migrate
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
between different locations throughout the year, meaning local populations numbers can vary depending on seasonal fluctuations. Populations can decline in response to good rain with kultarrs preferring drier seasons.
Movements and home ranges of kultarrs vary with movements of up to 1,700 m per night for males and 400 m per night for females. Kultarrs disperse and negotiate a variety of different habitat types to forage from vegetated areas and open bare ground.
Diet
The kultarr is predominantly
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
, its diet consisting largely of species including
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 ...
s,
cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a 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 well-known as ...
es,
crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets, and, more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 8 ...
and
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. Additionally, kultarrs are also known to prey on other species of dasyurids.
The digestive tract of the kultarr has been described, as have the digestibilities of captive feeding regimes, and the rates of passage of different dietary items through their digestive tracts.
[ 78. Stannard HJ, Old JM (2011). Rate of passage through the kultarr (''Antechinomys laniger'') digestive tract. Australian Journal of Zoology. 59(4), 273-276. DOI: 10.1071/ZO11103 ]
Habitat
The kultarr occupies a range of different
habitats
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
preferring sparsely vegetated areas. Habitats include
claypan Claypan is a dense, compact, slowly permeable layer in the subsoil. It has a much higher clay content than the overlying material, from which it is separated by a sharply defined boundary. The dense structure restricts root growth and water infiltra ...
s,
gibber plain
A desert pavement, also called reg (in the western Sahara), serir (eastern Sahara), gibber (in Australia), or saï (central Asia) is a desert surface covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobbl ...
s, stony deserts,
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
s, hummock (''
Triodia'' sp.) and tussock
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
s,
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
s and
shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...
s.
Regional variation in habitat preference occurs with the western subspecies preferring stony, granite plains dominated by ''
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
'', ''
Eremophila'', and ''
Cassia'' species. Eastern subspecies prefer sparsely vegetated clay pans in acacia
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
s.
Torpor as an adaptation
The kultarr is an
Endotherm
An endotherm (from Greek ἔνδον ''endon'' "within" and θέρμη ''thermē'' "heat") is an organism that maintains its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of heat released by its internal bodily functions inste ...
having a high
metabolic
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
rate, to conserve energy the kultarr enters into a state of
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 time ...
where the body temperature is reduced similar to
hibernation
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
. The body temperature drops to 11 °C reducing the
metabolic
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
rate by 30% conserving
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
and reducing water loss.
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 time ...
occurs in the evening-early morning, lasting between 2–16 hours.
Species that 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 time ...
are referred to as
heterothermic
Heterothermy or heterothermia (from Greek ἕτερος ''heteros'' "other" and θέρμη ''thermē'' "heat") is a physiological term for animals that vary between self-regulating their body temperature, and allowing the surrounding environment to ...
endotherms
An endotherm (from Greek ἔνδον ''endon'' "within" and θέρμη ''thermē'' "heat") is an organism that maintains its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of heat released by its internal bodily functions inste ...
.
Other species of Dasyriuds in arid Australia use torpor and is an adaptation to combat limited resource availability.
The benefits of
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 time ...
include having an extended lifetime; this is advantageous in the harsh arid environment enabling recovery of populations after
stochastic
Stochastic (, ) refers to the property of being well described by a random probability distribution. Although stochasticity and randomness are distinct in that the former refers to a modeling approach and the latter refers to phenomena themselv ...
weather events such as
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
or
drought
A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
.
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 time ...
is also used during the
breeding
Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant.
Breeding may refer to:
* Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rab ...
season to ensure breeding success even during poor seasons.
Threats to survival
Habitat degradation
![Rød ræv (Vulpes vulpes)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/R%C3%B8d_r%C3%A6v_%28Vulpes_vulpes%29.jpg)
Changes in
land management
Land management is the process of managing the use and development (in both urban and rural settings, but it is mostly managed in Urban places.) of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agricul ...
practices since
European settlement has resulted in catastrophic declines of
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
species throughout
arid
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
[Letnic, M., 2007. The impacts of pastoralism on the fauna of arid Australia 65–76.] Habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
degradation occurs through overgrazing by introduced species such as
rabbits
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit specie ...
(Oryctolagus cuniculus),
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
(Ovis aries), and
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
(Bos taurus).
Cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
can trample and destroy
vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic character ...
, damaging soil structure and reducing deep cracks that reduces nesting and shelter sites for the kultarr.
Predation by cats and foxes
Kultarrs are threatened by introduced predators such
feral cats
A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...
(Felis catus) and
red foxes
The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, p ...
(Vulpes vulpes). Good rainfall results in
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
pulses in
arid
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
regions, allowing predators to increase their numbers,
therefore
predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
on kultarrs increases.
Kultarrs are also predated by native species such as native
owls
Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vi ...
and
snakes
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...
.
However
cats
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 t ...
differ from native predators as they are recreational
hunters
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...
and continue to
prey
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
on species even when prey numbers are low.
Domesticated
cats
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 t ...
on
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
stations have also been reported as preying on kultarrs.
[Finlayson, H.H., 1961. On Central Australian Mammals: Part IV The Distribution and Status of Central Australian Species. Government Printer, South Africa.][Nash, S., Ayers, D., Baggett, K., Wales, N.S., 1996. Threatened Species of Western New South Wales. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.]
Flooding
![CSIRO ScienceImage 1327 Bush fire](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/CSIRO_ScienceImage_1327_Bush_fire.jpg)
Populations of kultarrs experience significant decline due to the impacts of
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
, causing the
mortality
Mortality is the state of being mortal, or susceptible to death; the opposite of immortality.
Mortality may also refer to:
* Fish mortality, a parameter used in fisheries population dynamics to account for the loss of fish in a fish stock throug ...
of individuals through drowning and flooding of
burrow
An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...
s.
[Morris, K., Burbidge, A.A., Maxwell, S., Australia, W., Australia, W., 1996. The 1996 action plan for Australian marsupials and monotremes. Wildlife Australia.] The impact is exacerbated if kultarr populations are isolated, hindering re-colonisation.
The destruction of kultarr habitat is also a consequence of severe flooding.
Fire
The cessation of
indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
fire-stick farming
Fire-stick farming, also known as cultural burning and cool burning, is the practice of Aboriginal Australians regularly using fire to burn vegetation, which has been practised for thousands of years. There are a number of purposes for doing this ...
and the reduction of patch-mosaic burning in arid Australia since European
colonisation
Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...
have caused increased severity of large-scale wildfires.
Contributing to the decline of suitable
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
and refuges for the kultarr including tree hollows, fallen logs,
Triodia spp. hummocks, shrubs and leaf litter.
Insecticides used to control locusts
Insecticide
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...
control of the Australian plague
locust
Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstanc ...
has been attributed to possible fatalities of species of Dasyriuds from secondary poisoning.
Kultarrs are particularly susceptible because of their high insect diet, high
metabolism
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
and small body size.
Once locusts are affected by insecticide kultarrs are able to capture and gorge-feed on them easily making them susceptible to poisoning.
Conservation and management
Current status
The kultarr is classified as
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
under the ''Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995''
and
near threatened
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...
in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
under the ''Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000''.
[Northern Territory Government, 2013. Native Animals - Dept of Land Resource Management WW Document URL http://www.lrm.nt.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-animals (accessed 8.30.15).]
In
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
it is classified as
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
under the ''
Nature Conservation Act 1992
The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota.
As originally published, it prov ...
''.
[Protection, jurisdiction=Queensland; sector=government; corporateName=Department of E. and H., 2015. Kultarr – Antechinomys laniger WW Document URL http://wetlandinfo.ehp.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/components/species/?antechinomys-laniger (accessed 8.30.15)] The kultarr is not classified in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
or
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
The kultarr is not listed under the ''
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...
''
and listed as
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
(IUCN) ‘red list’ of
threatened species
Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...
.
Targeted conservation programs
![Numbat cons gnangarra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Numbat_cons_gnangarra.JPG)
A detailed recovery plan has been developed for the kultarr by the
New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is a directorate of the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment responsible for managing most of the protected areas in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Despite its name the ...
under the ‘saving our species’ program.
Objectives include identifying species distributions and habitat requirements, identifying specific threats to the species, implementing direct management strategies to reduce threats as well as public education to increase the profile of the kultarr. At present there aren't any plans to
reintroduce kultarrs into the wild.
Direct management strategies that benefit the species include:
* Fox, rabbit and feral cat control programs
* Maintaining patch mosaic burning in the landscape
* Reducing the stocking rates of livestock on properties and excluding cattle from important kultarr habitat
* Retention of understory and groundcover plants as well as other elements such as logs and leaf litter
* Reporting any new sighting of the species.
See also
*
Hopping mouse
A hopping mouse is any of about ten different Australian native mice in the genus ''Notomys''. They are rodents, not marsupials, and their ancestors are thought to have arrived from Asia about 5 million years ago.
All are brown or fawn, fading ...
,
jerboa
Jerboas (from ar, جربوع ') are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia, and are members of the family Dipodidae. They tend to live in hot deserts.
When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on b ...
,
jumping mouse
Zapodidae, the jumping mice, is a family of mouse-like rodents in North America and China.
Although mouse-like in general appearance, these rodents are distinguished by their elongated hind limbs, and, typically, by the presence of four pairs o ...
,
kangaroo mouse
A kangaroo mouse is either one of the two species of jumping mouse (genus ''Microdipodops'') native to the deserts of the southwestern United States, predominantly found in the state of Nevada. The name "kangaroo mouse" refers to the species' ext ...
,
kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus ''Dipodomys'', are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed thi ...
and
springhare
''Pedetes'' is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa.
Species
A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus ''Pedetes''. ...
- rodents similar in body plan and locomotion, examples of
convergence
Convergence may refer to:
Arts and media Literature
*''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen
* "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics:
**A four-part crossover storyline that united the four Wei ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1142656
Dasyuromorphs
Mammals of New South Wales
Mammals of Queensland
Mammals of South Australia
Mammals of the Northern Territory
Mammals of Western Australia
Marsupials of Australia
Mammals described in 1856
Taxa named by John Gould