Marsupial Mouse

Marsupial Mouse is a small rat or mouse that belongs to the Dasyyuridae family. It is also known as “stuart’s antechinus” and “macleay’s marsupial mouse”

Marsupial Mouse Scientific Name

The Scientific Name of Marsupial Mouse is Antechinus stuartii.

Marsupial Mouse Sub Species

There are a few sub species of Marsupial Mouse.

Sub tropical antechinus.
Tropical antechinus.
Yellow-footed antechinus.

Marsupial Mouse Description

Find out how this tiny, naughty mammal looks.

Size: Length of their body varies between 9.5 and 11cms. The length of the tail is 10 to 12 cms.

Color: The color of the body is generally solid grey, buff or brown. Their body is greyish on the upper part and the underbelly is whitish in color. The eyes are dark brown in color. The nose is pink in color.

Shape: They have long tail, big ears and stilt like hind legs. The end of the tail is so thickly furred that it resembles a bottle brush. They have a resemblance to placental rats and mice.

Weight: The weight of a Marsupial Mouse ranges around 35 grams for males and 20 grams for females.

Length: The body length ranges from 150-250mm in males and 139-220 mm in females. The tail is almost as long as the body.

Body: Marsupial Mouse has long pointed head. They have short, dense and coarse fur. Females lack pouch, instead they have variable number of exposed nipples. They have five toes on each of its four feet.

Picture 1 – Marsupial Mouse

Marsupial Mouse Distribution

The Marsupial Mouse is mainly found in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea.

Marsupial Mouse Habitat

They are seen in hot, stony desert and dry grasslands. They are seldom seen in the wild. They are ground dwelling marsupials, living in its burrow or in the holes of other animals. They prefer wet areas but are also at times found in dry areas. They are also found in trees at times.

Marsupial Mouse Predator

The Marsupial Mouse is attacked by cats and foxes. It is also attacked by snakes, lizards and predatory birds.

Marsupial Mouse Adaptation

Marsupial Mice have many adaptive features and characteristics that help them to survive and avoid being preyed on.

They are well adapted to life in desert and do not need to drink water. It derives needed moisture from food.
When the temperatures drop and food supply is scarce, then Marsupial Mouse becomes torpid.
The Marsupial mouse stalks like a cat and uses a direct neck bite when killing large prey.

Marsupial Mouse Diet

Marsupial Mouse is a carnivorous animal. It feeds on insects and other small prey. It also feed on smaller birds, reptiles, rodent, beetles, spiders and cockroaches. They may also eat plant material or flower pollen.

Picture 2 – Marsupial Mouse Image

Marsupial Mouse Behavior

The Marsupial Mouse behavior patterns are quite interesting.

They are carnivorous.
They are solitary in nature.
If attacked the Marsupial mouse gets aggressive.
They hunt at night but can be active during the day if there is food shortage.
This species have a very high metabolism rate.
These creatures are nocturnal.
These mammals are excellent climbers.

Marsupial Mouse Reproduction

The Marsupial mouse reaches sexual maturity in 9 to 10 months. The Marsupial Mouse’s breeding season is restricted to about three months and they produce one baby a year. The gestation lasts for about 26-35 days. The males die after their first two weeks of breeding season due to the stress and exhaustion of mating.

Marsupial Mouse Life Cycle

In the absence of a pouch, the mouse clings to the Mother’s underbelly. They are dragged across the ground while she goes out in search of food for 5 weeks. Births usually occur within a period of 2 weeks.

Newborns are 4 to 5 mm in length at birth and weigh an average of 0.016 grams. The young ones stay with their mother for about 90 days. The young one leaves the mother on the onset of winter. Females usually nest alone to rear their young ones.

Marsupial Mouse Lifespan

The average lifespan of Marsupial Mouse is 32 weeks. Some of them also live up to 72 weeks.

Marsupial Mouse Conservation Status

These mammals are labeled as “least concerned” by the IUCN (International Union For Conservation of Nature). There are no immediate threats to the survival of the Marsupial Mouse, because of its widespread and abundant range.

Marsupial Mouse Interesting Facts

The Marsupial Mouse has some interesting facts.

The mother marsupials they deny milk to male offspring, preferring to wean females.
Mothers usually eat their young ones in captivity.
Males die after 2weeks of mating, due to stress and exhaustion after mating.