Dasyuridae

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 the group also includes the cat-sized quolls, as well as the Tasmanian devil and the extinct thylacine. They are found in a wide range of habitats, including grassland, underground, forests, and mountains, and some species are arboreal or semiaquatic. The Dasyuridae are often called the 'marsupial carnivores', as most members of the family are insectivores.
Characteristics
Most dasyurids are roughly the size of mice, but a few species are much larger. The smallest species is the Pilbara ningaui, which is from in length, and weighs just , while the largest, the Tasmanian devil, is long, and weighs from . The smaller dasyurids typically resemble shrews or mice in appearance, with long tails and narrow, pointed noses. The larger species bear a resemblance to such placental carnivores as mongooses or mustelids.
Many features of dasyurids are considered primitive; that is, they resemble the features of the earliest marsupials, from which other species, such as kangaroos and bandicoots, later diverged. For example, all of the toes in dasyurids are separate, whereas in many other marsupials, the second and third toes are fused. Similarly, many species lack a full marsupial pouch, instead having a simple fold of skin surrounding the teats to provide some protection to the developing young. The dentition of dasyurids is also considered primitive, and differs from that of other marsupials, with a dental formula of: . Their dentition is similar to many carnivores, characterized by bladelike incisors, large, sharp canines, and upper molars modified with large, sharp cusps.
Dasyurids are primarily insectivorous, but they will also eat small lizards, fruit, and flowers. One of the few exceptions to this rule is the Tasmanian devil, which subsists mainly on vertebrate carrion. They have relatively simple digestive tracts, as is typical of insectivores and other carnivores.
Gestation lasts from 12–16 days, and results in the birth of from two to 12 young, depending on species. Smaller species typically breed at least twice a year, while the larger forms tend to breed just once. The length of lactation reflects this, with young dunnarts, for example, being weaned after 60–70 days, but young quolls only after 8–9 months. Most dasyurid species are sexually mature at one year of age, but, again, the quolls and Tasmanian devil, being larger, take longer to mature and do not reach full adulthood for about two years.
Adult dasyurids are typically solitary, or travel in small groups of two to three individuals.
Classification
The listing for extant species is based on The Third edition of Wilson & Reeder's Mammal Species of the World (2005), except where the Mammal Diversity Database and IUCN agree on a change.
Family Dasyuridae
Genus Ganbulanyi
Genus Glaucodon
Genus Urrayira
Subfamily Barinyainae
Genus Barinya
Subfamily Dasyurinae
Tribe Dasyurini
Genus Dasycercus
Brush-tailed mulgara, Dasycercus blythi
Crest-tailed mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda
Genus Dasykaluta
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
Woolley's three-striped dasyure, Myoictis leucera
Three-striped dasyure, Myoictis melas
Wallace's dasyure, Myoictis wallacii
Tate's three-striped dasyure, Myoictis wavicus
Genus Neophascogale
Speckled dasyure, Neophascogale lorentzi
Genus Parantechinus
Dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis
Genus Phascolosorex
Red-bellied marsupial shrew, Phascolosorex doriae
Narrow-striped marsupial shrew, Phascolosorex dorsalis
Genus Pseudantechinus
Sandstone false antechinus, 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
Tribe Phascogalini
Genus Antechinus
Tropical antechinus, Antechinus adustus
Agile antechinus, Antechinus agilis
Fawn antechinus, Antechinus bellus
Yellow-footed antechinus, Antechinus flavipes
Atherton antechinus, Antechinus godmani
Cinnamon antechinus, Antechinus leo
Swamp antechinus, Antechinus minimus
Brown antechinus, Antechinus stuartii
Subtropical antechinus, Antechinus subtropicus
Tasmanian dusky antechinus, Antechinus swainsonii
Genus Murexia
Habbema dasyure, Miurexia habbema
Short-furred dasyure, Murexia longicaudata
Black-tailed dasyure, Murexia melanurus
Long-nosed dasyure, Murexia naso
Broad-striped dasyure, Murexia rothschildi
Genus Phascogale
Red-tailed phascogale, Phascogale calura
Northern brush-tailed phascogale, Phascogale pirata
Brush-tailed phascogale, Phascogale tapoatafa
Subfamily Sminthopsinae
Tribe Planigalini
Genus Planigale
Paucident planigale, Planigale gilesi
Long-tailed planigale, Planigale ingrami
Common planigale, Planigale maculata
New Guinean planigale, Planigale novaeguineae
Narrow-nosed planigale, Planigale tenuirostris
Tribe Sminthopsini
Genus Antechinomys
Kultarr, Antechinomys laniger
Genus Ningaui
Wongai ningaui, Ningaui ridei
Pilbara ningaui, Ningaui timealeyi
Southern ningaui, Ningaui yvonnae
Genus Sminthopsis
S. floravillensis
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
Grey-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
References
External links
Dasyuromorphs
Mammal families