Brown Antechinus

Scientific name: Antechinus stuartii

Alternative name/s:
Marsupial Mouse

Author(s)

Dr Sandy Ingleby
Updated

16/04/26
Read time

2 minutes

Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii) — The Brown Antechinus (*Antechinus stuartii*) is a small carnivorous marsupial found in woodland and forest habitats in northern and eastern Australia. Image: Dean
CC BY-NC 4.0

Fast Facts

Classification

Genus

Antechinus

Species

stuartii

Family

Dasyuridae

Order

Dasyuromorphia

Subclass

Marsupialia

Class

Mammalia

Subphylum

Vertebrata

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia
Size Range

Body: 70 mm - 140 mm

The Brown Antechinus is a small carnivorous marsupial with greyish-brown fur above and paler below, large thin ears, and a tail the same length as the body or shorter.

What do Brown Antechinus look like?

Identification

Small native carnivorous marsupial, greyish-brown above and paler below. Long pointed head with bulging eyes and four pairs of small sharp incisor teeth. Ears are large, thin and crinkly with a notch in the margin. Tail is the same length as the body or shorter and is sparsely haired. It weighs up 71 grams.

A small brown antechinus peers over a mossy log on the forest floor. — The Brown Antechinus (*Antechinus stuartii*) is a small carnivorous marsupial found in woodland and forest habitats in northern and eastern Australia. Image: Simon Anderson
CC BY-NC 4.0

Where do Brown Antechinus live?

Habitat

Woodland and forest habitats.

Distribution

Northern and eastern Australia.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

What do Brown Antechinus eat?

Feeding and diet

It is mostly nocturnal, coming out during the night to prey upon insects, spiders, centipedes and sometimes small reptiles and frogs. During the day it can be found in large communal nests in tree hollows, crevices or logs on the ground.

Specimen in our collection

View microCT scans of a Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii) from the Australian Museum Mammalogy Collection (specimen AM M.48196). Learn more about microCT scanning and how it is used by the Australian Museum Research Institute.

How do Brown Antechinus reproduce?

Breeding behaviours

Males live for approximately 11 months and have a short breeding cycle of about 2 weeks in winter, after which they die as a result of stress and exhaustion. Females give birth to undeveloped naked young that latch onto teats in the pouch for up to 50 days. The pouch is an open slit found on the belly.