Biology:Phascogale
The phascogales (members of the eponymous genus Phascogale), also known as wambengers or mousesacks,[1] are carnivorous Australian marsupials of the family Dasyuridae. There are three species: the brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), the red-tailed phascogale (P. calura), and the northern brush-tailed phascogale (P. pirata). As with a number of dasyurid species, the males live for only one year, dying after a period of frenzied mating. The name wambenger comes from the Nyungar language.[2] The term Phascogale was coined in 1824 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in reference to the brush-tailed phascogale, and means "pouched weasel". All three species are listed as either Near Threatened or Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Phylogeny
The following is a phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial genome sequences:[3]
| Dasyuromorphia |
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Species
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The genus consists of the following three species:
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| 120px | Brush-tailed phascogale – Phascogale tapoatafa | southeast Australia from South Australia to mid-coastal Queensland, Western Australia |
| 120px | Red-tailed phascogale – Phascogale calura | south-western Western Australia |
| Northern brush-tailed phascogale – Phascogale pirata | northern Australia. |
Life cycle
Mating generally happens between May and July. All males die soon after mating. Females give birth to about 6 young ones about 30 days after mating. Phascogales do not have the true pouch that is found in most other marsupials [1][2]. Instead, they form temporary folds of skin - sometimes called a "pseudo-pouch" [3] around the mammary glands during pregnancy. Young stay in this pseudo-pouch area, nursing for about 7 weeks before being moved to a nest where they stay until they are weaned at about 20 weeks of age. Females live for about 3 years, and generally produce one litter.
References
- ↑ A Hollow Victory - The Morabool News
- ↑ "Borrowings from Australian Aboriginal Languages". 18 October 2010. https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/borrowings-australian-aboriginal-languages.
- ↑ Miller, W.; Drautz, D. I.; Janecka, J. E.; Lesk, A. M.; Ratan, A.; Tomsho, L. P.; Packard, M.; Zhang, Y. et al. (February 2009). "The mitochondrial genome sequence of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)". Genome Res. 19 (2): 213–20. doi:10.1101/gr.082628.108. PMID 19139089.
- Groves, C.P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M.. eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 31–32. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp.
External links
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Wikispecies has information related to Phascogale |
Template:Dasyuromorphia Wikidata ☰ Q1754387 entry
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