Long-tailed dunnart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-tailed dunnart |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sminthopsis
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| Species: |
longicaudata
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| Long-tailed dunnart range | |
The long-tailed dunnart (its scientific name is Sminthopsis longicaudata) is a small marsupial from Australia. It's special because its tail is longer than its body! Another dunnart, the little long-tailed dunnart, also has a super long tail.
This dunnart is one of the bigger ones. From its nose to the tip of its tail, it can be about 26 to 31 centimeters (10 to 12 inches) long. Its body is about 8 to 9.6 centimeters (3 to 3.8 inches) long, and its tail alone can be 18 to 21 centimeters (7 to 8.3 inches) long. It weighs about 15 to 20 grams, which is like two or three small candies.
Contents
Where Long-Tailed Dunnarts Live
The long-tailed dunnart lives in different parts of Australia. You can find it in Western Australia, especially in areas like the Pilbara and the eastern coast. It also lives in the northeastern goldfields and the Gibson Desert.
These dunnarts also make their home in central Northern Territory and western South Australia.
Long-Tailed Dunnart Habitats
Long-tailed dunnarts like to live in places with Acacia trees. They also enjoy rocky areas called screes, which often have hummock grass and small shrubs. You might also find them in tall, open shrubland and woodlands.
Long-Tailed Dunnart Life and Reproduction
This amazing marsupial is a nocturnal animal, meaning it is active at night. It's also very good at jumping!
Breeding and Joeys
When it's time to have babies, usually in October and November, the long-tailed dunnart digs a hole under logs. It then builds a cozy nest using grass. A mother dunnart can have up to six tiny babies, called joeys, at one time.
Even though some local groups think this dunnart is in danger, the IUCN (a big group that checks on animals around the world) says it is of "least concern." This means it's not currently at high risk of disappearing.
What Long-Tailed Dunnarts Eat
The long-tailed dunnart is a carnivore, which means it eats other small creatures. Its diet mainly consists of invertebrates. These include insects and other small animals without backbones.
Some of its favorite foods are ants, beetles, and centipedes.
See also
In Spanish: Ratón marsupial de cola larga para niños
