Have you seen him?

Have you Billy, Milly & Silly!

Not a mouse: Antechinus might look like mice, but they’re actually small carnivorous marsupials.

The Brown Antechinus is a small native carnivorous marsupial sometimes confused with the introduced House Mouse.

Alternative Name/s

Marsupial Mouse

 Identification

The Brown Antechinus can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

  • Front teeth Four pairs of small sharp incisors.
  • Head Long pointed head with bulging eyes.
  • Ears Large thin crinkly ears, with a notch in the margin.
  • Colouring Greyish brown above, paler below.
  • Tail Sparsely haired tail, same length as body or shorter, at 65 mm – 110 mm long.
  • Body weight 17-71 g.
  • Size range
  • Body: 70 mm – 140 mm

 

Similar Species

  • Sometimes mistaken for House Mouse.

 

Distribution

There are two subspecies of Brown Antechinus: the northern and the southern. The northern subspecies is found in northern coastal Queensland, while the southern subspecies is found from southern Queensland through to southern New South Wales.

 

Habitat

The Brown Antechinus prefers forest habitats, sheltering in spherical nests in hollow log or crevice. They are sometimes found in furniture in bush areas or farms but are not found often in urban areas.

 

Source: Australian Museum 

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