Mulgara

The Mulgara is a carnivorous marsupial.

There are two species; Dasycercus cristicauda and the Ampurta Dasycercus hillieri

It is found in the arid center of Australia and the arid regions of Western Australia. The Dasycercus cristicauda may still be found in the Gascoyne region.

Its body to head length is approx 125mm-220mm, its tail is approx 75-120mm long and it weighs approx 70-170grams.

It is mostly nocturnal. At Alice Springs Desert Park in captivity they have observed it being active "from the afternoon onwards depending on food availability, a rest period is engaged after this before more foraging in the early morning hours, around four to five hours a night"

Photographed at Perth Zoo

This animal is very fast moving running from cover to cover of the spinifex. I also observed these animals running up wire and over rocks.

The Mulgara has 5-8 young.

They also store fat in their tails.

What does it eat?

It eats a variety of invertebrates such as spiders, scorpions and other insects and it eats small vertebrates such as small rodents, eating them from head to tail. Does not need to drink water.

This is possibly a pareremus nymph seen on the Murchison Rd in the Gascoyne region.

Its habitat is sandy with mulga shrubland on loamy sand.

It makes its own burrow. The Alice Springs Desert Park have observed them "digging burrows as nest sites and collecting vegetation for lining their nests, the degree of material included in the nest will vary amongst individuals."

This photograph was taken on the Great Central Rd in the Great Victoria Desert.

How does it get on with the opposite sex in captivity?

Alice Springs Desert Park have observed that "Outside of the breeding season male and female will coexist happily, as will multiple males depending on enclosure size. In the breeding season the females are very dominant and protective of their nesting chambers and food."

I asked the Alice Springs Desert Park if these animals had any peculiar habits? They said, "Likes to sun bake on their belly during the day next to their burrow entrances for long periods."

This photograph on the left was taken also in the nocturnal house at Perth Zoo. The Mulgara could be seen resting under the rock.

The Mulgara is longer lived than a lot of the other small marsupials.