Alexandria False Antechinus

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image_caption =
status = EN
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = IUCN2006 | assessors = Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group | year = 1996 | title = Pseudantechinus mimulus | id = 18447 | downloaded = 2006-12-09]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
infraclassis = Marsupialia
ordo = Dasyuromorphia
familia = Dasyuridae
genus = "Pseudantechinus"
species = "P. mimulus"
binomial = Pseudantechinus mimulus
binomial_authority = (Thomas 1906)

The Alexandria False Antechinus ("Pseudantechinus mimulus"), also known as the Carpentarian False Antechinus, is a small carnivorous marsupial, found only in a number of small, isolated localities in northern Australia. It is the smallest and rarest of the false antechinuses.cite book | last = Menkhorst | first = Peter | year = 2001 | title = A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia | publisher = Oxford University Press | pages = 60]

Taxonomy

The Alexandria False Antechinus has had a long history of confusion with the Fat-tailed False Antechinus ("P. macdonnellensis") ever since it was first described by Oldfield Thomas in 1906. W.D.L. Ride suppressed the species in 1971, placing it with the Fat-tailed False Antechinus, but it was restored by D.J. Kitchener in 1991. Its scientific name means "little mimic of false-antechinus".

The Alexandria False Antechinus is a member of the dasyurid family. It is closely related to the other species of false antechinus.

Description

The Alexandria False Antechinus is coloured buff brown above and greyish white below. Its main distinguishing feature from other false antechinuses is its small size.Citation|last1=Johnson|last2=Langford|first1=K.A.|first2=D.G.|contribution=Carpentarian Pseudantechinus|title=The Mammals of Australia|year=1995|publisher=Reed Books|pages=77-78|editor-first=Ronald|editor-last=Strahan] The behaviour of this species has not been described.

Habitat

This species is found only in five localities: near Mt Isa in northwestern Queensland; Alexandria Station on the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory; and three small islands in the Sir Edward Pellew Group, in the north-east of the territory. It inhabits stony hillsides with woodland and spinifex grass.

Conservation status

The Alexandria False Antechinus has a very limited distribution, which has resulted in its classification by the IUCN as endangered. On the offshore islands it inhabits, it is fairly common; however, it is rare and, in 1995, had not been seen on the mainland since 1905, when it was discovered.

References

External links

* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/p-mimulus-s-butleri-n-aquilo/parta.html National Multi-species Recovery Plan for the Carpentarian Antechinus, Butler's Dunnart and Northern Hopping Mouse]
* [http://biodiversity.mongabay.com/animals/p/Pseudantechinus_mimulus.html biodiversity.mongabay.com]