Agile Antechinus
Antechinus agilis
Habitat Forest and woodlands
IUCN Status Least Concern, listed as endangered in South Australia
The agile antechinus is a carnivorous nocturnal marsupial in the family dasyuridae, much like the Eastern Quoll. They are the smallest of four species of antechinus.
Their habitat includes tree hollows, dead logs and leaf litter. Their preferred diet includes insects and other invertebrates, though they have also been known to eat small lizards and soft berries.
The agile antechinus is “semelparous”. “Semelparity” refers to a mating behaviour that is brief, violent and ultimately fatal. The breeding season of the agile antechinus ends with the death of the males, with females giving birth to between six and ten young after 27 days of gestation.
Photograph by David Paul