Echidna

The EPBC lists this animal as endangered
The IUCN lists this animal as endangered

This is a carnivorous marsupial

It is approx 95-125mm in head and body length, its tail is approx 120-145mm and it weighs approx 38-70grams.

All males die after mating in July

We have had to take these photographs off the video we shot as this little marsupial is so quick and didn't stay still long enough to catch in a photo. We filmed them at the Alice Springs Desert Park and the only lighting was a torch.

We asked them these questions about this animal.

When is it most active and for how many hours a day?

"Nocturnal species, so activity is for a few hours at dusk and dawn to feed."

Any peculiar habits?

"They like to sprawl themselves out along rocks and ledges in the shade when temperatures become hot to cool down their body temperatures."

Is it concerned with nest building?

"Their nests are well built, similar to a drey, with a small entrance hole of around 25mm and a tunnel leading to the main nest. This can be built in hollow trees, limbs or under rocks in the ground."

Does it use any particular nesting materials?

"They are very opportunistic when building their nests and will utilise any available material at hand. Materials used will range from vegetation, grasses, string, clothing scraps and even plastic."

How does it interact with the same sex and opposite sex?

"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, after breeding the males are excluded from the nesting chambers."

Found only now in Wandoo woodland in the wheatbelt in the south of Western Australia from Brookton down to Fitzgerald River National Park where it receives higher rainfall.

This is Dryandra woodlands and it is a wandoo woodland but I don't know if the Red-tailed Phascogale is living here.

The Red-tailed Phascogale runs across the canopy and up and down the bark hanging on with its sharp claws.

What does it eat?

Although they can move through the tree tops they can come to the ground to feed on arthropods. This spider was photographed at Dryandra woodlands.

It may even eat small birds sleeping at night and small mammals.

And I guess it eats gecko's too.

In this blurry picture you can see the long tail. The difference between the Red-tailed Phascogale and the Brush-tailed Phascogale is that the Red-tail has a redder patch at the base of the tail with less hairs. The hairs on the Brush-tail's tail do not go right to the base of the tail either but there are more hairs and it is bushier. The Brush-tail is also bigger. It also lives in the Kimberley and south-west of Western Australia.

Go Here to see our video of this quick animal filmed at the Alice Springs Desert Park.

Permission is granted to reproduce this image for non commercial websites.

Here you can see the skull of the Red-tailed Phascogale.

Brush-tailed Phascogale skull

Permission is granted to reproduce this image for non commercial websites.

Brush-tailed Phascogales are much more common in WA and can be seen at the Tuart forest near Busselton in the SW, Perup near Manjimup SW, Warren National Park in Pemberton SW, where we saw one living 3 metres from a camp fireplace under this log. Under here I found several pieces of tin foil and a well eaten corn husk.