Lexi Webster
Australia is home to many unique animals, some of which are small, brown, and bouncy. These creatures play an essential role in maintaining the health and vitality of the Australian landscape. Three of the smallest animals in Australia include the long-tailed planigale, the mountain pygmy possum, and the silver-headed antechinus. These tiny mammals weigh only a few grams and play a crucial role in regenerating the country's nature. The long-tailed planigale, for example, is a ferocious predator, hunting down large centipedes, spiders, and even small lizards despite its diminutive size. The mountain pygmy possum is another small mammal that is endemic to alpine and sub-alpine regions, where it searches for food such as seeds, fruits, and insects. The silver-headed antechinus, on the other hand, is found in isolated populations of high-altitude wet forests in mid-eastern Australia and is threatened by climate change.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Smallest Australian animal | Long-tailed planigale |
| Weight of smallest animal | 2.6-6.6 grams |
| Second smallest animal | Tasmanian pygmy possum |
| Weight of second smallest animal | Less than half an ounce |
| Third smallest animal | Marsupial mole |
| Weight of third smallest animal | N/A |
| Other small animals | Silver-headed antechinuses, mountain pygmy possum, eastern pebble-mice, Parma wallabies, quokkas, bilbies, long-nosed potoroos, brush-tailed bettongs, bandicoots, dingoes, tree kangaroos, koalas, wombats, bats, rodents, dolphins, whales |
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What You'll Learn
- The long-tailed planigale is Australia's smallest mammal
- The mountain pygmy possum is the only Australian mammal living in alpine regions
- The silver-headed antechinus is endangered and weighs as much as six $1 coins
- The long-nosed potoroo is one of the smallest and oldest members of the kangaroo family
- The quokka is a small, brown, tree-climbing animal native to Australia
The long-tailed planigale is Australia's smallest mammal
Australia has a rich diversity of mammals, with around 320 native land-based species, most of which are unique to the country. Many of these mammals are small, weighing less than a kilogram. The long-tailed planigale, or Planigale ingrami, is among the smallest of these mammals, and is in fact the smallest marsupial. It is also one of the smallest mammals in the world.
The long-tailed planigale is rarely seen, but it is a common inhabitant of the blacksoil plains, clay-soiled woodlands, and seasonally flooded grasslands of Australia's Top End. It is found across northern Australia, from the Pilbara through the Great Sandy Desert and the Kimberley region in Western Australia to the Barkly Tableland. The species was first described in 1906 by Oldfield Thomas, who placed it in the genus Phascogale. Ellis Le Geyt Troughton later moved the species to the genus Planigale, creating the genus for it and the other then-known species, the common planigale (P. maculata).
The long-tailed planigale is a tiny but ferocious predator. It preys on insects and their larvae, small lizards, and young mammals almost as large as itself. With larger prey, an initial pounce is often insufficient, and the planigale bites repeatedly until its prey no longer struggles. Usually, it only eats the soft parts, discarding the head and wings. The planigale is a nocturnal hunter, moving below and above the surface at night in search of food. During the day, it can enter into torpor, a state of dormancy with decreased body temperature and metabolic rate.
The long-tailed planigale has an extraordinary head shape, with a flattened head that is much broader than it is deep. Its skull is only 3 to 4 mm from top to bottom, one-fifth as deep as it is wide. This shape allows it to squeeze into tiny soil cracks to find prey and avoid predators.
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The mountain pygmy possum is the only Australian mammal living in alpine regions
The mountain pygmy possum, or Burramys parvus, is the only Australian mammal that lives exclusively in alpine and sub-alpine regions. These tiny nocturnal marsupials were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in the 1960s at a ski resort in Mount Hotham, Victoria. They are currently restricted to three isolated mountain regions: Mount Blue Cow in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Mount Bogong and Mount Higginbotham/Loch in the Bogong High Plains in Victoria, and Mount Buller in Victoria.
Mountain pygmy possums prefer to sleep during the day and forage at night, moving up to one kilometre in search of food. Their diet consists of Bogong moths, other insects, fleshy fruits, nuts, nectar, seeds, and even small lizards and other small mammals. They are the only known marsupials in the world that store food and hibernate for extended periods, with their hibernation lasting between five and seven months. During hibernation, their body temperatures may drop to 2°C for up to 20 days at a time.
The construction of ski resorts in their alpine habitats has been a major factor in the decline of the mountain pygmy possum population. Climate change is another serious threat, as their habitat warms and the number of Bogong moths, their preferred food source, decreases. There may be as few as several thousand individuals remaining in total across the three isolated populations.
The mountain pygmy possum is a critically endangered species, listed on the IUCN Red List. With their numbers dwindling, it is incredibly rare to spot them in the wild. They have a thick coat of fine grey fur on their body, a cream-coloured stomach, and a hairless tail. The females tend to stay in familial groups of up to ten related individuals, while the males are generally solitary, leaving nesting sites to take residence in lower elevations.
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The silver-headed antechinus is endangered and weighs as much as six $1 coins
The silver-headed antechinus, a tiny shrew-like marsupial, is one of the smallest and rarest mammals in Australia. It was first described in 2013 and is only found in a few isolated populations in the wet forests of mid-eastern Australia. These endangered creatures weigh as much as six $1 coins, with their length being a mere 9-12cm.
The silver-headed antechinus is a unique species of dasyurid marsupial of the genus Antechinus, known for its suicidal breeding habits. During the mating season, male antechinuses experience a surge of cortisol, leading to blindness, hair loss, and internal bleeding. Despite these challenges, they continue to mate until they die. This behaviour, along with their small size, makes them extremely vulnerable to threats such as the devastating bushfires of 2019-20, which destroyed about 80% of their habitat in Bulburin National Park, Queensland.
The silver-headed antechinus is not alone in its struggle for survival. Other tiny Australian mammals, such as the long-tailed planigale, the mountain pygmy possum, and the pebble mouse, also face significant challenges. The long-tailed planigale, weighing less than a ten-cent piece, is a ferocious predator found in blacksoil plains. The mountain pygmy possum, limited to alpine and sub-alpine regions, is endangered and may number only a few thousand individuals. Meanwhile, the pebble mouse, weighing a mere 10 grams, constructs impressive 50-kilogram pebble mounds, which are crucial for their survival.
These small mammals play a crucial role in maintaining the health and diversity of the Australian landscape. Their loss would have dire consequences for the environment and other animal species. The silver-headed antechinus, in particular, is threatened by climate change and predation by owls and feral cats. With their already limited habitat shrinking due to fires, the future of this tiny marsupial hangs in the balance.
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The long-nosed potoroo is one of the smallest and oldest members of the kangaroo family
Long-nosed potoroos are predominantly nocturnal, digging at night for their favourite food—the fruit of hypogeous (underground-fruiting) fungi—along with roots, tubers, insects, and other small animals. They are found in a variety of microhabitats, including subtropical and warm temperate rainforests, tall open forests with dense understorey, and dense coastal areas. Their bones have been found in a number of cave deposits, indicating they were once more widespread than they are today.
The long-nosed potoroo is a vulnerable native species, with its habitat under threat from human activities such as land clearing for grazing and other uses. Introduced species such as cats, dogs, and foxes also pose a significant threat to their survival. Long-nosed potoroos have a lifespan of about 7 years, and males and females reach sexual maturity at 12 months. They breed all year long, with peaks typically occurring from late winter to early summer.
Long-nosed potoroos are non-territorial and frequently have overlapping home ranges. Their home ranges vary considerably, with the largest recorded being 34.4 hectares (85 acres). They are solitary creatures, usually only observed in brief encounters for mating or when with their young.
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The quokka is a small, brown, tree-climbing animal native to Australia
The quokka, a small, brown, tree-climbing animal, is native to Australia. Quokkas are small macropods, about the size of a domestic cat, weighing between 2.5 and 5 kg and measuring 40 to 54 cm in length. They have short, coarse, thick grey-brown fur, with lighter parts underneath, and a relatively short, hairless tail. Quokkas are herbivores, and their diet includes various grasses, leaves, and shrubs. They are mainly nocturnal and are known for their ability to climb trees to reach food sources.
Quokkas are found in a small area of southwestern Australia, including some smaller islands off the coast of Western Australia, particularly Rottnest Island and Bald Island. On the mainland, quokkas prefer areas with more vegetation for food and cover from predators such as dingoes, red foxes, and feral cats. The quokka population on Rottnest Island has become accustomed to human presence, and 'quokka selfies' have gained popularity among tourists.
While quokkas are not in immediate danger of extinction, they are considered vulnerable and threatened by factors such as habitat loss, invasive species, and environmental changes. Human activities, such as agricultural development, housing expansion, and recreational camping, have contributed to the decline of the quokka population on the mainland. Conservation efforts, such as reducing red fox numbers, have helped in the recovery of some quokka populations.
Quokkas have a unique reproductive strategy, with females giving birth to a single young about a month after mating. The joey remains in the pouch for around six months and continues to feed from the mother's teats for an additional two months. Quokka mothers may expel their joeys from the pouch as a defence mechanism when threatened by predators.
Quokkas have become famous on the internet as "the world's happiest animals" due to their facial structure resembling a human smile. They are a popular attraction for tourists and have been featured in government advertising campaigns.
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