Antechinus flavipes (Waterhouse, 1838)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Dasyuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 232-348 : 312-313

31.

Yellow-footed Antechinus

Antechinus flavipes

French: Antéchinus a pattes jaunes / German: GelbfliRige BreitfuRBbeutelmaus / Spanish: Antequino de patas amarillas

Other common names: Yellow-footed Marsupial Mouse; Mardo (leucogasten

Taxonomy. Phascogale flavipes Waterhouse, 1838,

north of Hunter River, New South Wales, Australia.

A. flavipes is the most broadly distributed and variable species in the genus Antechinus. Since its relatively early description in 1838, it has accommodated what we now regard as the following species: A. stuartii , A. godmani , A. leo , A. adustus , and A. mysticus . A 1967 revision of the genus Antechinus recognized a western form, leucogaster, as distinct. It also pointed out the distinction and specific nature of A. godmani and demonstrated that affinities of a Cape York form of antechinus ( A. leo ) were greater with the nominate form flavipes than with any other species. The most northerly form of A. flavipes (now subspecies rubeculus) was recognized as distinct in this revision but, cautiously, not described as new. It was decided at that time that its taxonomic position would become clearer when more adequate material of A. bellus , another tropical antechinus, became available for comparison. In 1976-1978, a large collection of antechinuses from north-eastern Queensland and Cape York Peninsula was made by the Queensland Museum. Comparison of living and dead specimens in this collection made it clear that the Cape York antechinus ( A. leo ) was distinct from rubeculus; the latter was duly raised as a subspecies of A. flavipes in 1982. A 2013 review of A. flavipes affirmed genetic and morphological status of the three recognized subspecies: flavipes , leucogaster, and rubeculus. A form from mid-eastern Queensland (at Eungella National Park near Mackay), which had previously been considered an unnamed species of A. flavipes , was recognized as a new species, A. mysticus . It is worth noting that there is a genetic break within the nominate flavipes in north-eastern New South Wales;it is not yet known exactly where the break is or if it runs north-south or east-west. Morphological evidence (external and skull) of specimens on either side of the divide has not yet been sought to determine if it matches genetics. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

A.f.flavipesWaterhouse,1838—SEAustralia,acrossQueensland(SofRockhamptonandincludingFraserI),NewSouthWales,Victoria,andSouthAustralia.

A.f.leucogasterGray,1841—SWWesternAustralia.

A. f. rubeculus Van Dyck, 1982 — NE Queensland, N of about Townsville.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 8:3-13.1 cm (males) and 8:6-11.3 cm (females), tail 8-10.7 cm (males) and 7.1-9.5 cm (females); weight 281-67 g (males) and 28-9-40-7 g (females) for A. f. flavipes , head-body 9.1-11.9 cm (males) and 8.6-11 cm (females), tail 7:2—-10 cm (males) and 6-5-8:6 cm (females); weight 27-44 g (males) and 21-32 g (females) for the “Mardo” ( A. f. leucogaster ); head—body 9.8-15.1 cm (males) and 9.9-12.7 cm (females), tail 8:4-11.6 cm (males) and 7.9-10.4 cm (females); weight 64-76 g (males) and 30-52 g (females) for A. f. rubeculus . There is marked sexual dimorphism in size within all three subspecies. The Yellow-footed Antechinusis readily distinguished from all extant congeners based on external morphology by the following combination of features: a gray head; orange-yellow-toned flanks, rump,feet, and tail base; pale eye rings; and darkened tail tip. There are subtle variations in body color within the subspecies of the Yellow-footed Antechinus. The nominate flavipes has medium orange-yellow tones on rump, flanks, and tail base, whereas the Mardo is drabber, generally with orange tones replaced with fawn-browns; belly is dirty white; and tail is dark orange along its upper length and markedly pale on its underside. Subspecies rubeculus is most similar in external appearance to nominate flavipes , but rubeculus tends to be a richer, redder color on rump and flanks. The Bufffooted Antechinus ( A. mysticus ) 1s subtly different from the nominate flavipes ; it is drabber, with a grayishbrown head and neck merging to yellowish-brown flanks and rump, with buff feet and tail base and a broken eye ring (more akin to dabs of light brown eyeliner), whereas the nominate flavipes has a grizzled grayish head merging to orange-yellow-toned flanks, rump, feet, and tail base, and pale, complete eye rings and darkened tail tip.

Habitat. Broad spectrum of habitats from tropical vine-forests through swamps to dry mulga ( Acacia aneura , Fabaceae ) country. The Yellow-footed Antechinus is the most widespread of all antechinuses. In south-eastern Queensland, the nominate flavipes occupies a very wide variety of habitat types. Its distribution is apparently limited by two major factors: presence of the Subtropical Antechinus ( A. subtropicus ), the Buff-footed Antechinus, and the Brown Antechinus ( A. stuartii ) and its ability to tolerate increasing aridity. A third possible limiting factor is presence of heavy infestations of cane toads (Rhinella marina) in what appears to be otherwise suitable habitats for the Yellowfooted Antechinus. It occurs east and west of the Great Dividing Range; in south-eastern Queensland, the nominate flavipes co-occurs with the Buff-footed Antechinus and the Brown Antechinus. In south-eastern Queensland, the nominate flavipes typically occurs in habitats outside those vine-forests where the Subtropical Antechinus is concentrated. Although avoiding the coast through northern New South Wales where the Brown Antechinus dominates, the nominate flavipes occurs within a few kilometers of it in far south-western Victoria. In other parts of Victoria, flavipes occurs north of the 1000mm isohyet through an elevational range of 20-1000 m and has been trapped in dry forest and woodland communities consisting of trees of the myrtle family such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. microcarpa, E. leucoxylon, E. melliodora, E. tricarpa, E. polyanthemos, E. goniocalyx, and E. macrorhyncha. The nominate flavipes also occurs in E. baxter: heath woodlands of the south-east. It occurs sympatrically with the Agile Antechinus ( A. agilis ) in the northern foothills of the Eastern Highlands, the Grampians, and the southern foothills of the Midlands, Glenlofty, and Edi. The subspecies flavipes also occurs on tablelands and western slopes of New South Wales, in habitats similar to those described above for Victoria. The Mardo is restricted to south-western Western Australia in a wide variety of mesic habitats. The subspecies rubeculus is found in coastal areas and tablelands from Mount Spec, 18°57’ S, 146° 11’ E (c.60 km N of Townsville, north-eastern Queensland) to Home Rule, 15° 42° S, 145° 14" E (¢.30 km south of Cooktown, 15° 26’ S, 145° 11’ E, north-eastern Queensland)—a total northerly spread of ¢.350 km. This subspecies occupies lowland and highland tropical vine-forests at elevations from 20 m (Herbert River, 18° 15’ S, 145° 22’ E) to 1200 m (Thornton Peak, 16° 17° S, 145° 38’ E). In some highland areas (e.g. vine-forests around Ravenshoe, 17° 36° S, 145° 29’ E), the subspecies rubeculus rarely is found in sympatry with the Rusty Antechinus ( A. adustus ) and the Atherton Antechinus ( A. godmani ). It also occurs outside vine-forests, and specimens have been collected at elevations from 600 m (Kirrama, 18° 08’ S, 145° 37’ E) to 1050 m (Herberton, 17° 23’ S, 145° 23’ E) in dry sclerophyll woodland dominated by bloodwood, stringybark, casuarinas, acacias, and dense blady grass.

Food and Feeding. The diet of the Yellow-footed Antechinus consists mostly of insects, but it may include a wide variety of items from flowers and nectar to small birds and house mice. Its bird victims, such as finches and canaries, are neatly turned inside out and devoured; only the everted skin is left behind.

Breeding. Like its congeners, the Yellow-footed Antechinus breeds only once a year in late winter or spring, depending on locality. In eastern Australian populations, local synchrony of breeding is triggered by a certain rate of increase in daylength after wintersolstice, similar to that triggering reproduction in congeners such as the Brown Antechinus, the Agile Antechinus, and the Subtropical Antechinus. Yellow-footed Antechinuses in Western Australia mate at various rates of change in daylength. Copulation in Yellow-footed Antechinus may last up to twelve hours, the male tightly gripping the scruff of the female’s neck in his jaws and hugging her abdomen from behind with his forelegs. After gestation of ¢.30 days, the female gives birth to as many as 14 young, which are carried in the pouch for up to five weeks and weaned at ¢.3 months. Young share a leafy nest, built typically in a tree hollow or Xanthorrhoea ( Xanthorrhoeaceae ) skirt. The nominate flavipes from near Canberra breed only once each year, with females only sometimes surviving to produce a second litter. This subspecies breeds earlier than Agile Antechinuses, and thus the two species remain reproductively isolated in areas where they are sympatric. Wild flavipes follow a yearly reproductive cycle similar to that described for the Agile Antechinus (then as A. stuartii ). Features noted in males included an increase in body weight, activity, and metabolic rate until late June, followed by an increase in testis development until the end of July. After this, there was a general decline in activity, body weight, scrotal width, and pelage condition. At Beerwah (26° 51° S, 152° 57’ E) and other areas of south-eastern Queensland, the Yellow-footed Antechinus apparently mates in September, males become moribund and die-off in late September, and females give birth in October. Interestingly, in south-eastern Queensland, the nominate flavipes may mate up to three months later than other subspecies in Canberra and Victoria. In Victoria, female flavipes have 10-14 nipples. Ovulation in field populations of the Mardo occurs in July-August, tending to be earlier in northern parts ofits distribution. One study found evidence for two distributional groups of the Mardo, with females in a northern group having ten nipples in the pouch and the southern group having only eight; southern populations tended to occur in more mountainous, wetter regions. In north-eastern Queensland, mating and births in subspecies rubeculus may occur up to four months earlier than in the nominate flavipes in south-eastern Queensland. One male rubeculus was caught near Ingham (18° 43’ S, 146° 10’ E) on 4 July 1979 while it was copulating under a log. A female of the same subspecies captured near Ingham on 5 July 1976 gave birth to eight young on 8July 1976; another female captured at Ravenshoe on 15 July 1976 had eight young, each ¢.10:-5 mm long (crown-rump) at capture. Another female captured at Mount Spec on 28July 1979 gave birth to eight young on 17 August 1979. Field studies suggest that the subspecies rubeculus mates in July; indeed, by the second week ofJuly, all malesin the study areas were dead. Young were born toward the end of August and weaned toward the end of December. Of six rubeculus specimens examined in collections of the Queensland Museum, three pouches contained six nipples, one contained seven, and two contained eight. There are a number of specimens of adult male rubeculus in collections of the Queensland Museum that had been collected as late as 29 October in a particular year.

Activity patterns. Yellow-footed Antechinuses are mostly nocturnal. Because they frequent open forest areas, they regularly visit semi-urban households, raiding kitchens, scampering up and down walls, and nesting in couches. Like most antechinuses,they are semi-arboreal and will shelter in tree and log hollows during the day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Yellow-footed Antechinuses, like their congeners, exhibit quick, jerky movements; they can run upside down along branches and rock surfaces with great speed and agility. They are equally at home darting about on the forest floor, pouncing on insects and diving through leaflitter in search of invertebrate prey.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Yellow-footed Antechinuses are abundant and the most geographically widespread member of the genus; they are regularly trapped in fauna surveys throughout much of Australia, except semi-arid and arid areas. Nevertheless, they require relatively intact stands of forest to maintain tree and log hollow refuge areas, foraging pathways, and a diversity of arthropod prey items. Thus, continued habitat clearing is causing local reduction of Yellow-footed Antechinuses in semi-urban areas. They are regularly preyed on by owls (various species) and domestic and feral cats. Remains of Yellow-footed Antechinuses are regularly found at owl roost sites; e.g. dozens of skulls and skeletal remains of Yellow-footed Antechinuses were found under the roost of a pair of moreporks (Ninox novaeseelandiae) at a semi-urban forestsite in south-eastern Queensland.

Bibliography. Baker & Van Dyck (2013b), Crowther (2008), Crowther et al. (2002), Dwyer et al. (1979), How et al. (2002), Inns (1976), Marchesan & Carthew (2004), Menkhorst (1995a), Menkhorst & Beardsell (1982), Menkhorst et al. (1984), Smith, G.C. (1984), Sumner & Dickman (1998), Van Dyck (1982a, 2002), Wakefield & Warneke (1967), Waterhouse (1838), Watt (1991), Woolley (1966).

Figures

On following pages: 2. Crest-tailed Mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda); 3. Kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei); 4. Kaluta (Dasykaluta rosamondae); 5. Dibbler (Parantechinus apicalis); 6. Woolley's Three-striped Dasyure (Myoictis leucura); 7. Miller's Three-striped Dasyure (Myoictis melas); 8. Wallace's Three-striped Dasyure (Myoictis wallacii); 9. Tate's Three-striped Dasyure (Myoictis wavicus); 10. Sandstone Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus bilarni); 11. Fat-tailed Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis); 12. Carpentarian Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus mimulus); 13. Ningbing Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus ningbing); 14. Rory’s Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus roryi); 15. Woolley's Pseudantechinus (Pseudantechinus woolleyae); 16. Speckled Dasyure (Neophascogale lorentzii); 17. Red-bellied Phascogale (Phascolosorex doriae); 18. Narrow-striped Dasyure (Phascolosorex dorsalis).

Subspecies and Distribution. A.f.flavipesWaterhouse,1838—SEAustralia,acrossQueensland(SofRockhamptonandincludingFraserI),NewSouthWales,Victoria,andSouthAustralia. A.f.leucogasterGray,1841—SWWesternAustralia. A. f. rubeculus Van Dyck, 1982 — NE Queensland, N of about Townsville.