Brown antechinus Facts
Brown antechinus Facts
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| Interesting Brown antechinus Facts: |
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| Brown antechinus can reach 3.7 to 4.3 inches in length (not including the tail of the same size) and 0.5 to 1.5 ounces of weight. Males are larger and heavier than females. |
| Brown antechinus has short, grayish-brown fur on the back and creamy or white colored fur on the belly. |
| Brown antechinus has elongated, pointed head with large, rounded ears and black, bulging eyes. Mouth are equipped with 4 pairs of small, but sharp incisors. Brown antechinus has very long tail. |
| Brown antechinus is adapted to the life in the treetops (arboreal animal). Five toes on front and hind feet facilitate climbing on the trees. |
| Brown antechinus is nocturnal animal (active during the night). |
| Brown antechinus is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on insects (such as beetles and cockroaches), centipedes, small reptiles and frogs. |
| Females build large communal nests inside the hollow trees or under the logs on the ground which are used as shelters for animals of both sex. |
| Natural enemies of brown antechinuses are snakes, lizards and birds. |
| Mating season of brown antechinuses takes place during the winter (usually from August to September). |
| Females mate with several males. Sperm of different donors is stored in the female's body for up to three days and used for the fertilization of eggs. That way, each litter consists of babies that have different fathers. |
| Pregnancy in females lasts 30 days and ends with 6 to 7 poorly developed babies. Females do not have pouch. Babies complete their embryonic development attached to one of eight teats of their mother during the next 50 days. |
| Young brown antechinuses depend on the mother's milk until the age of 3.5 months. After that period, they are ready for the independent life. Brown antechinuses reach sexual maturity at the age of around 9 months. |
| Brown antechinuses belong to the group of semelparous animals. That mean that males (and at least some females) breed only once in a lifetime and die soon afterwards. |
| Lack of food during the winter (during the mating season) and rapid exhaustion of body fat and protein reserves kill males at the end of two-week-long mating season. Typical lifespan of male brown antechinuses is 11 months. |
| Females can survive 2 to 3 years in the wild, but they usually die as soon as their offspring (from the first litter) become ready for the independent life. |
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