Dasyuridae
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The marsupial family Dasyuridae includes 61 species divided into 15 genera. Members of this family are found in Australia and New Guinea.
Dasyurids range in size from roughly from 5 or 6 gm to 8 kg. Despite their variation in size, most are similar in shape, with a moderately long body, long pointed head, long and usually fairly well-furred tail, and short to medium-length legs. The tail is not prehensile. The feet are not syndactylous (that is, the second and third toes are not fused), and the animals walk with the entire surface of their feet on the ground (plantigrade). Arboreal species have a small but mobile hallux on the hind foot, but this toe tends to be reduced or absent in terrestrial species. The hind foot of terrestrial species also tends to be longer than that of arboreal species. Many dasyurids lack a pouch; in these species, the teats are arranged on a circular patch of skin on the abdomen. Some that lack a pouch have folds along the sides of the abdomen that give young some protection. The stomach of dasyurids is a simple sac.
The skull of dasyurids is didelphid-like in appearance, but it include 4 upper and 3 lower incisors on each side of the jaw rather than 5/4 as in didelphids. The canines are well developed and have a sharp edge; the premolars (2 or 3 upper and lower on each side) are blade-like; and the molars (4 upper and lower) are tuberculosectorial, often with sharp cusps for shearing. The palatal vacuities that characterize most marsupials are reduced or absent in some species.
Dasyurids are primarily carnivorous and insectivorous.
[edit] Classification
Taxonomists divide the family into two subfamilies, each with two tribes as shown below. Recent research has reorganized this taxonomy, but evidence for the cohesiveness of the entire group is strong.
- Family Dasyuridae
- Subfamily Dasyurinae
- Tribe Dasyurini
- Genus Dasycercus
- Brush-tailed Mulgara, Dasycercus blythi
- Crest-tailed Mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda
- Genus Dasykalua
- Little Red Kaluta, Dasykaluta rosamondae
- Genus Dasyuroides
- Kowari, Dasyuroides byrnei
- Genus Dasyurus: quolls
- New Guinean Quoll, Dasyurus albopunctatus
- Western Quoll, Dasyurus geoffroii
- Northern Quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus
- Tiger Quoll, Dasyurus maculatus
- Bronze Quoll, Dasyurus spartacus
- Eastern Quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus
- Genus Myoictis
- Myoictis leucura
- Three-striped Dasyure, Myoictis melas
- Wallace's Dasyure, Myoictis wallacii
- Myoictis wavicus
- Genus Neophascogale
- Speckled Dasyure, Neophascogale lorentzi
- Genus Parantechinus
- Southern Dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis
- Genus Phascolosorex
- Red-bellied Marsupial Shrew, Phascolosorex doriae
- Narrow-striped Marsupial Shrew, Phascolosorex dorsalis
- Genus Pseudantechinus
- Sandstone Dibbler, Pseudantechinus bilarni
- Fat-tailed False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis
- Alexandria False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus mimulus
- Ningbing False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus ningbing
- Rory Cooper's False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus roryi
- Woolley's False Antechinus, Pseudantechinus woolleyae
- Genus Sarcophilus
- Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii
- Genus Dasycercus
- Tribe Phascogalini
- Genus Antechinus
- Tropical Antechinus, Antechinus adustus
- Agile Antechinus, Antechinus agilis
- Fawn Antechinus, Antechinus bellus
- Yellow-footed Antechinus, Antechinus flaviceps
- Atherton Antechinus, Antechinus godmani
- Cinnamon Antechinus, Antechinus leo
- Swamp Antechinus, Antechinus minimus
- Brown Antechinus, Antechinus stuartii
- Subtropical Antechinus, Antechinus subtropicus
- Dusky Antechinus, Antechinus swainsonii
- Genus Micromurexia
- Habbema Dasyure, Micromurexia habbema
- Genus Murexechinus
- Black-tailed Dasyure, Murexechinus melanurus
- Genus Murexia
- Short-furred Dasyure, Murexia longicaudata
- Genus Paramurexia
- Broad-striped Dasyure, Paramurexia rothschildi
- Genus Phascomurexia
- Long-nosed Dasyure, Phascomurexia naso
- Genus Phascogale
- Red-tailed Phascogale, Phascogale calura
- Brush-tailed Phascogale, Phascogale tapoatafa
- Genus Antechinus
- Tribe Dasyurini
- Subfamily Sminthopsinae
- Tribe Sminthopsini
- Genus Antechinomys
- Kultarr, Antechinomys laniger
- Genus Ningaui
- Wongai Ningaui, Ningaui ridei
- Pilbara Ningaui, Ningaui timealeyi
- Southern Ningaui, Ningaui yvonnae
- 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-tailed Dunnart, Sminthopsis granulipes
- S. griseoventer species-group
- Kangaroo Island Dunnart, Sminthopsis aitkeni
- Boullanger Island Dunnart, Sminthopsis boullangerensis
- Gray-bellied Dunnart, Sminthopsis griseoventer
- S. longicaudata species-group
- Long-tailed Dunnart, Sminthopsis longicaudata
- S. murina species-group
- Chestnut Dunnart, Sminthopsis archeri
- Little Long-tailed Dunnart, Sminthopsis dolichura
- Sooty Dunnart, Sminthopsis fulginosus
- Gilbert's Dunnart, Sminthopsis gilberti
- White-footed Dunnart, Sminthopsis leucopus
- Slender-tailed Dunnart, Sminthopsis murina
- S. psammophila species-group
- Hairy-footed Dunnart, Sminthopsis hirtipes
- Ooldea Dunnart, Sminthopsis ooldea
- Sandhill Dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila
- Lesser Hairy-footed Dunnart, Sminthopsis youngsoni
- S. crassicaudata species-group
- Genus Antechinomys
- Tribe Planigalini
- Genus Planigale
- Paucident Planigale, Planigale gilesi
- Long-tailed Planigale, Planigale ingrami
- Pygmy Planigale, Planigale maculata
- New Guinean Planigale, Planigale novaeguineae
- Narrow-nosed Planigale, Planigale tenuirostris
- Genus Planigale
- Tribe Sminthopsini
- Subfamily Dasyurinae
[edit] References
- Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 23-37. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
