Fawn Antechinus

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image_caption =
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
trend = stable
status_ref = IUCN2008 | assessors =Woinarski, J. & Oakwood, M.| year = 2008 | title = Antechinus bellus | id = 40523 |downloaded=09 October 2008]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
infraclassis = Marsupialia
ordo = Dasyuromorphia
familia = Dasyuridae
genus = "Antechinus"
species = "A. bellus"
binomial = "Antechinus bellus"
binomial_authority = (Thomas, 1904)

The Fawn Antechinus ("Antechinus bellus") is a species of small carnivorous marsupial found in northern Australia. It is the only antechinus to be found in the Northern Territory and has a patchy, restricted range.

Taxonomy

The Fawn Antechinus was first described in 1904 by the renowned biologist Oldfield Thomas, who gave it the species name "bellus", meaning beautiful. It has never been confused with other species.

The Fawn Antechinus is a member of the family Dasyuridae and of the genus "Antechinus" (meaning "hedgehog-equivalent"), which has nine other members.

Description

The Fawn Antechinus is unique among antechinuses, being considerably paler than many of its relatives. It is a light grey colour and is distinguished from the only other similar species in the area where it lives (the Sandstone Dibbler and the Red-cheeked Dunnart) by its larger size and paler colouring. It is insectivorous and, like many of its relatives, all of the males die after the breeding season .cite book | last = Menkhorst | first = Peter | year = 2001 | title = A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia | publisher = Oxford University Press | pages = 54]

The Fawn Antechinus has a breeding season during August. Young are born in September-October in litters of up to ten, and are usually weaned by January.

Distribution and habitat

The Fawn Antechinus is found in the Top End of the Northern Territory, where it is fairly common.Citation|last=Calaby|first=J.H.|contribution=Fawn Antechinus|title=The Mammals of Australia|year=1995|publisher=Reed Books|pages=85-86|editor-first=Ronald|editor-last=Strahan] It inhabits tall, fairly open forest in the tropics.

References