Mighty Marsupial Mouse

Sarah Renwick

Walking slowly with my camera I was out looking for Spring wildflowers and birds. I don’t actually walk many kilometers – perhaps 2km at most. Recently I have found a trail which is not too popular with joggers nor mountain-bikers.

Being a bird-watcher I’m looking for that telltale rustle in a thick bush and I keep an ear out for bird-calls in the forest canopy. Occasionally I can hear something scratching around in the leaf litter on the forest floor. That’s what I was looking for when I saw this creature. OK – it’s dead…. but it is interesting. Certainly not a mouse or rat. It would fit into the palm of my hand if I dared pick it up. The tail is about as long as the body. The fur appears fine and silky: brown along the back but pale underneath. The ears are quite large and rounded with a clearly visible notch on the edge. And I can just see the sharp teeth which would be effective in munching the insects, spiders, cockroaches and centipedes it feeds on.

I took quite a few photos and back at home I looked up what it might be: Marsupial Mouse – Antechinus stuartii (also known as the Brown antechinus).

I actually found two dead ones on the same walk. Most probably males – do you know why? They only breed for about 2 weeks in winter after which they die of stress and exhaustion. No kidding.