marsupial mouse

marsupial mouse
1. any of various mouse-sized to rat-sized marsupials of the family Dasyuridae, occurring in Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania: some species are rare or endangered.
2. the mouselike crested-tailed Dasycercus cristicauda of Australian deserts. Also called marsupial rat.

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mammal
      any of many small rat- or mouselike animals, belonging to the family Dasyuridae (order Marsupialia), found in Australia and New Guinea. The species vary in body length from 5 to 22 cm (2 to 9 inches), and all have tails, often brushlike, that are about as long as their bodies. Their coat is generally solid gray, buff, or brown; a few species are speckled. All marsupial mice are predatory, most are nocturnal, and they are really more like shrews than mice.

      They subsist on insects and small vertebrates, although the broad-footed marsupial mice (Antechinus species) are also known to eat nectar. The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) stores excess fat in its tail. Members of all genera except Antechinus will go into torpor when food is scarce. The crest-tailed marsupial mouse, or mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda), an arid-land species valued for killing house mice, gets all of its water from the bodies of its prey.

      Reminiscent of jerboas—long-tailed and big-eared with stiltlike hind legs—are the two species of Antechinomys, also of the Australian outback. The two species of brush-tailed marsupial mice, or tuans (Phascogale), are grayish above and whitish below in colour; the distal half of the long tail is thickly furred and resembles a bottle brush when the hairs are erected. Tuans are arboreal but may raid poultry yards. In both appearance and behaviour the flat-skulled marsupial mice, or planigales (Planigale), are similar to the true shrews (shrew) (Sorex). The Red Data Book lists the eastern jerboa marsupial, or kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), of Australia as endangered; several other marsupial mice are considered rare.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • marsupial mouse — noun any of numerous small sharp nosed insectivorous marsupials superficially resembling mice or rats • Syn: ↑pouched mouse, ↑marsupial rat • Hypernyms: ↑dasyurid marsupial, ↑dasyurid • Member Holonyms: ↑Phascogale, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • marsupial mouse — geltonkojė plačiapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Antechinus flavipes angl. broad footed marsupial mouse; dunnart; yellow footed antechinus; marsupial mouse vok.… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • marsupial mouse — dėmėtaakė plačiapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Antechinus bellus angl. fawn antechinus; marsupial mouse vok. Augenfleck Breitfußbeutelmaus rus. пятнистоглазая сумчатая мышь ryšiai:… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • marsupial mouse — Svainsono plačiapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Antechinus swainsonii angl. dusky antechinus; marsupial mouse; phascogale; Swainson’s antechinus vok. Swainson Breitfußbeutelmaus rus …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • marsupial mouse — /maˌsupiəl ˈmaʊs/ (say mah.soohpeeuhl mows) noun any of various small, Australian, carnivorous marsupials superficially resembling mice or small rats, including the dunnart, antechinus, ningaui, and planigale …  

  • crest-tailed marsupial mouse — storauodegė siaurapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Sminthopsis crassicaudata angl. crest tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed dunnart; fat tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • fat-tailed marsupial mouse — storauodegė siaurapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Sminthopsis crassicaudata angl. crest tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed dunnart; fat tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • narrow-footed marsupial mouse — storauodegė siaurapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Sminthopsis crassicaudata angl. crest tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed dunnart; fat tailed marsupial mouse; fat tailed… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Central jerboa marsupial mouse — Centrinės Australijos sterbliašoklis statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Antechinomys spencer angl. Central jerboa marsupial; Central jerboa marsupial mouse; long legged jumping marsupial; pitchi pitchi;… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Dibbler marsupial mouse — taškuotoji plačiapėdė sterbliapelė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Antechinus apicalis angl. Dibbler marsupial mouse; freckled antechinus; speckled marsupial mouse vok. Sprenkel Beutelmaus; Sprenkel… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

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