Brush-tailed mulgara
| Brush-tailed mulgara | |
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| Dasycercus blythi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | Dasyuridae |
| Genus: | Dasycercus |
| Species: | D. blythi |
| Binomial name | |
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Dasycercus blythi Waite, 1904 |
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| Brush-tailed mulgara range | |
The brush-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus blythi or Dasycercus hillieri) is a large carnivorous Australian marsupial species. Its body mass is over 100 g, with males being slightly larger than females. Their body length is 15 cm, and tail length is 9 cm.
The taxonomy of the mulgaras has been confusing, but as of 2006, two species are recognized: this species and the crest-tailed mulgara.
Members of the Dasycercus genus have a body mass of over 100 g, a length of 15 cm and tail length of 9 cm. Males are typically much larger than females. The tail is “of moderate length, shorter than the head and body, incrassated (thickened); the proximal two-fifths covered with short still yellow hairs, the remainder with gradually lengthening black hairs that do not however form a crest. The whole of the lower surface is black, with the exception of a small proximal portion which is yellow.” The upper portion of fur appears sandy and speckled with brown, while the basal portion appears as a dark grey. The entirety of the under belly, inner side of the limbs, and lining of the pouch are pure white. Dentition shows two premolar teeth in both the upper and lower jaws, with the first observed as smaller than the second in the upper jaw. One feature that distinguishes D. blythi from other species of Dasycercus as observed in specimens is a gap between the second premolar and first molar.
D. blythi is widely distributed, having been observed during different expeditions in the north-western, central, and south-western areas of the arid zone of Australia. While once widespread and common throughout the central deserts of Australia, a decline has been observed during the 1930s, resulting in a more fragmented distribution than previously observed. Considering the sedentary behavior of D. blythi, their spinifex habitat is considered unusual, as it provides a less stable environment that is prone to things such as fire. From this, it is concluded that mulgaras exploit a larger variety of food sources to provide a stable caloric intake. The size of the home range varies, growing largest during the mating period. The recent reclassification of D. blythi as a unique species will require re-evaluation of previous data collected about the population distributions of the Dasycercus genus.
D. blythi has a large variety in diet, consisting of different types of reptiles, invertebrates, and even small mammals.
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Wikipedia