Additional records of prey of the fat-tailed false antechinus Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis from central Australia.

Abstract

THE fat-tailed false antechinus (Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis) is a medium-sized dasyurid marsupial (body mass 18-33 g), that is endemic to central Australia. It is largely confined to rocky environments in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia (Menkhorst and Knight 2001). Despite its specialised habitat, the species is a generalist insectivore. Ten insect orders and spiders (Araneae) were recorded in faecal samples of a population in West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory, during a two and a half year study (Gilfillan 2001). Isoptera, Coleoptera and Orthoptera were the major insect orders in the diet. Here we report the results of the analysis of a small sample of faeces of P. macdonnellensis collected from the same location as the population studied by Gilfillan. Our results are noteworthy because of additions to the prey taken by P. macdonnellensis including three new classes and two new phyla.