26/11/2024
Update on our baby antechinus! All members of the trio from last week are doing well and putting on good weight.
It’s come to our attention that a lot of people don’t know much about these cute little guys - despite their range covering a large portion of the east coast of Australia in a huge range of habitats. In urban areas, the presence of cats and clearing of understorey vegetation has wiped out whole populations - but they are still around!
Did you know:
🧬 Antechinus are from the same family as quolls and Tasmanian devils (dasyuridae)! There are 10 antechinus species in Australia. They are NOT rodents!
💀 Males are semelparous, meaning they die after mating. They are exhausted by their own hormones over a 2-3 week mating period. This means every generation of antechinus is very important!
🌸 They play a critical role as pollinators of several endangered plant communities in the Australian bush.
🗓️ All antechinus from a population breed at the same time, with ~70% giving birth on the same day in some populations!
🥛 They give birth to ~20% more babies than they have teats - only the strongest young survive 💪🏻
Sadly, their strange mating habits make antechinus particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Because their breeding season is specifically timed to coincide with the insect boom in summer, the climatic uncoupling of food supply with season is already starting to detrimentally affect some species.
The uniqueness of the antechinus should be a reminder to us all that our endemic fauna in Australia is unbelievably delicate, precious and worth protecting! ❤️