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Dasyuromorphs
Dasyuromorphia (, meaning "hairy tail" in Greek) is an order comprising most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the numbat, the Tasmanian devil, and the extinct thylacine. In Australia, the exceptions include the omnivorous bandicoots (order Peramelemorphia) and the marsupial moles (which are insectivorous but are very different and are now accorded an order of their own, Notoryctemorphia). Numerous South American species of marsupials (orders Didelphimorphia, Paucituberculata, and Microbiotheria) are also carnivorous, as were some extinct members of the order Diprotodontia, including extinct kangaroos (such as '' Ekaltadeta'' and '' Propleopus)'' and thylacoleonids, and some members of the partially extinct clade Metatheria and all members of the extinct superorder Sparassodonta. The order contains four families: one, the Myrmecobiidae, with just a single living species (the numbat), two with only extinct species (including the thy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thylacine
The thylacine (; binomial name ''Thylacinus cynocephalus''), also commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf, was a carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The thylacine died out in New Guinea and mainland Australia around 3,600–3,200 years ago, prior to the arrival of Europeans, possibly because of the introduction of the dingo, whose earliest record dates to around the same time, but which never reached Tasmania. Prior to European settlement, around 5,000 remained in the wild on the island of Tasmania. Beginning in the nineteenth century, they were perceived as a threat to the livestock of farmers and bounty (reward), bounty hunting was introduced. The last known of its species died in 1936 at Hobart Zoo in Tasmania. The thylacine is widespread in popular culture and is a cultural icon in Australia. The thylacine was known as the Tasmanian tiger because of the dark trans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malleodectes
''Malleodectes'' is an extinct genus of unusual marsupial, first discovered in 2011 at Riversleigh, Queensland, Australia. Taxonomy The description of the new genus and two species, was published in 2011, based on fossilised type material discovered at a Riversleigh site. The type species is named ''Malleodectes mirabilis'' and the second description published as ''Malleodectes moenia''; their generic epithet combines terms derived from the Latin, ''malleo'' meaning hammer, and Ancient Greek, ''dectes'' for biter, in reference to the unusual dentition. ''Malleodectes'' was classified as the sole genus of Malleodectidae in a 2016 revision, with the family allied to Dasyuromorphia. A 2025 study assigned the genus '' Barinya'' and, tentatively, the new genus '' Weirdodectes'' to the family Malleodectidae. Description A marsupial with highly specialised dentition, an enlarged premolar with a flattened profile used to hammer open the shells of snails found in its wet forested ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmecobiidae
The numbat (''Myrmecobius fasciatus''), also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. The species was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs. Numbats were recently re-introduced to fenced reserves in South Australia and New South Wales. The numbat is the faunal emblem of Western Australia. Taxonomy The numbat genus ''Myrmecobius'' is the sole member of the family Myrmecobiidae, one of four families that make up the order Dasyuromorphia, the Australian marsupial carnivores. The species is not closely related to other extant marsupials; the current arrangement in the order Dasyuromorphia places its monotypic family with the diverse and carnivorous species of Dasyuridae. Genetic studies have shown the ancestors of the nu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Long-tailed Planigale
The long-tailed planigale (''Planigale ingrami''), also known as Ingram's planigale or the northern planigale, is the smallest of all marsupials, and one of the smallest of all mammals. It is rarely seen but is a quite common inhabitant of the blacksoil plains, clay-soiled woodlands, and seasonally flooded grasslands of Australia's Top End. Taxonomy The long-tailed planigale was described in 1906 by Oldfield Thomas, who placed it in the genus ''Phascogale''. The species was moved in 1928 by Ellis Le Geyt Troughton, who created the genus '' Planigale'' for it and the other then-known species, the common planigale (''P. maculata''), and described the narrow-nosed planigale (''P. tenuirostris''). The species has since suffered some taxonomic confusion, having been referred to as ''Planigale subtilissima''; there has also been some confusion concerning subspecies. Currently, three subspecies are recognised: *''P. i. ingrami'', found in the Northern Territory to Townsville, Queensla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii''; palawa kani: ''purinina'') is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now confined to the island of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is related to quolls, and distantly related to the thylacine. It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites per unit body mass of any extant predatory land mammal. It hunts prey and scavenges on carrion. Although devils are usually solitary, they sometimes eat and defecate together in a communal location. Unlike most other dasyurids, the devil the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quoll
Quolls (; genus ''Dasyurus'') are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Another two species are known from fossil remains in Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits in Queensland. Genetic evidence indicates that quolls evolved around 15 million years ago in the Miocene, and that the ancestors of the six species had all diverged by around four million years ago. The six species vary in weight and size, from to . They have brown or black fur and pink noses. They are largely solitary, but come together for a few social interactions, such as mating, which occurs during Winter, the winter season. A female gives birth to up to 30 pups, but the number that can be raised to adulthood is limited by the number of teats (6–7). They have a life span of 1–5 years (species dependent). Quolls eat smaller mammals, small birds, l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thylacinidae
Thylacinidae is an extinct family (biology), family of carnivorous marsupials from the order Dasyuromorphia. The only species to survive into modern times was the thylacine (''Thylacinus cynocephalus''), which became Extinction, extinct in 1936. The consensus of authors prior to 1982 was that the thylacinid family were related to the Borhyaenidae, a group of South American predators, also extinct, that exhibited many similar characteristics of dentition. A review published in 1982 compared the skeletal structure of these groups, concluding the tarsal bones show greater affinity with the dasyurmorphs, strongly supporting the later theory that any dental similarities emerged independently via convergent evolution. Thylacinidae is currently considered to be the most Basal (phylogenetics), basal and earliest diverging member of Dasyuromorpha, estimated to have split from other dasyuromorphs around 42-36 million years ago. The earliest thylacinid, ''Badjcinus'' from the Late Oligocene ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dunnart
A dunnart (from Noongar ''donat'') is a narrow-footed marsupial the size of a European mouse, of the genus ''Sminthopsis''. Dunnarts have a largely insectivorous diet. Taxonomy The genus name ''Sminthopsis'' was published by Oldfield Thomas in 1887, the author noting that the name '' Podabrus'' that had previously been used to describe the species was preoccupied as a genus of beetles. The type species is '' Phascogale crassicaudata'', published by John Gould in 1844. There are 19 species, all of them in Australia or New Guinea: * Genus ''Sminthopsis'' ** ''S. crassicaudata'' species-group *** Fat-tailed dunnart, '' Sminthopsis crassicaudata'' ** ''S. macroura'' species-group *** Kakadu dunnart, '' Sminthopsis bindi'' *** Carpentarian dunnart, '' Sminthopsis butleri'' *** Julia Creek dunnart, '' Sminthopsis douglasi'' *** Stripe-faced dunnart, '' Sminthopsis macroura'' *** Red-cheeked dunnart, '' Sminthopsis virginiae'' ** ''S. granulipes'' species-group *** White-tail ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Numbat
The numbat (''Myrmecobius fasciatus''), also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. The species was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs. Numbats were recently re-introduced to fenced reserves in South Australia and New South Wales. The numbat is the faunal emblem of Western Australia. Taxonomy The numbat genus ''Myrmecobius'' is the sole member of the family Myrmecobiidae, one of four families that make up the order Dasyuromorphia, the Australian marsupial carnivores. The species is not closely related to other extant marsupials; the current arrangement in the order Dasyuromorphia places its monotypic family with the diverse and carnivorous species of Dasyuridae. Genetic studies have shown the ancestors of the num ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiger Quoll
The tiger quoll (''Dasyurus maculatus''), also known as the spotted-tailed quoll, spotted quoll, spotted-tailed dasyure, or tiger cat, is a carnivorous marsupial of the quoll genus ''quoll, Dasyurus'' native to Australia. With males and females weighing around , respectively, it is the world's second-largest extant carnivorous marsupial, behind the Tasmanian devil. Two subspecies are recognised; the nominate is found in wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a northern subspecies, ''D. m. gracilis'', is found in a small area of northern Queensland and is endangered. The tiger quoll commonly preys on small mammals, insects, birds, Poultry, domestic poultry and large marsupials such as wombats. It mostly hunts live prey but occasionally scavenges when the opportunity arises. The tiger quoll kills its prey by executing a killing bite to the base of the skull or top of the neck, depending on the size of the prey. The species is listed as Near-threatened species, ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Numbat
The numbat (''Myrmecobius fasciatus''), also known as the noombat or walpurti, is an insectivorous marsupial. It is diurnal and its diet consists almost exclusively of termites. The species was once widespread across southern Australia, but is now restricted to several small colonies in Western Australia. It is therefore considered an endangered species and protected by conservation programs. Numbats were recently re-introduced to fenced reserves in South Australia and New South Wales. The numbat is the faunal emblem of Western Australia. Taxonomy The numbat genus ''Myrmecobius'' is the sole member of the family Myrmecobiidae, one of four families that make up the order Dasyuromorphia, the Australian marsupial carnivores. The species is not closely related to other extant marsupials; the current arrangement in the order Dasyuromorphia places its monotypic family with the diverse and carnivorous species of Dasyuridae. Genetic studies have shown the ancestors of the num ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fat-tailed Dunnart
The fat-tailed dunnart (''Sminthopsis crassicaudata'') is a species of mouse-like marsupial of the Dasyuridae, the family that includes the little red kaluta, quolls, and the Tasmanian devil. Description It has an average body length of with a tail of . Its ear length is . One of the smallest carnivorous marsupials, it varies in weight between . The tail becomes fat a few millimeters from the proximal end and remains so right up to the tip. The dunnart has trichromat vision, similar to that of some other marsupials as well as primates, but unlike most mammals, which have dichromat vision. Distribution and habitat The range of ''S. crassicaudata'' in Australia is in diverse habitats except for the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the northern Northern Territory like Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park, but avoids the Wannon and Mallee scrub habitats in Victoria. In the northeast of Victoria, the species can also be found in grassy woodlands and samphire s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
