The Sminthopsis Crassicuadata is a mouse like species that is also known as a Fat-Tailed Dunnart. You can find this furry mouse like creature is in the grassy wood lands in Africa. They grow up to 60-90 mm in length and have an average body weight of 10-20 grams. They are in the least concerned area of the conversation status.

 

The Fat-Tailed Dunnart measures around 60-90 mm in length and 10-20 grams in weight. Its main color stays between dark brown and light brown. And has the color white on the bottom of their stomachs.  The fat-tailed Dunnart adapts well to its environment because it has a long carrot shaped tail that it can store its left over fat in it. The tails can grow up to 45-70 mm long which is almost bigger than its whole body. This animal is able to live in extreme temperatures in nature because of its physiological and behavioral characteristics.

       

You can find this animal in western Africa where they live in grassy wood lands where they can camouflage their selves in the tall grass. They do well in their habitat because there are no well known predators where they live in Africa. They eat mostly during the day by catching insects that happen to scurry by. In food shortages they eat the extra fat that they have stored in their carrot shaped tail, so they won’t die of starvation.         

The Fat-Tailed Dunnarts species population has been staying the same for about 4 years now they are not endangered and they have no known predators. The impact of unimproved farming has been positive for this species as the type of habitat created is suitable to this Dunnart's requirements, but intensive agriculture is seen as a negative factor for the species. The average life span of the Fat-Tailed Dunnart for females is 18 months and for the male it is 15 months. Because of them being so small they can rarely live over 20 months.  

               

Their diet consists of insects such as, beetles, spider larvae, small reptiles, and amphibians. They normally eat mostly in the day and consume the fat when they are sleeping. They find rodents kin their grassy wood lands and strike at them. The fat tailed Dunnart has no competition for food but that does not mean that food is not scarce. When they are on the hunt they have to be very quit not to scare their prey away by being too loud.

There are no well known predators to the Fat-Tailed Dunnart, so they don’t have to be on watch all the time. But there may be some general animals that might be bigger that the Sminthopsis Crassicuadata that can endanger or possibly extinct the species. They mostly try to stay away from bigger animals that can swallow them but mainly they don’t have any well known predators like a cat and a mouse.

Some interesting facts about the Fat-Tailed Dunnart are that they only live up to 20 months. They have no known predators to research. You can find the fat tailed Dunnart in Africa. They eat all small insects. They also have generally 2 liters per year with females not breeding for the first year. Finally, the species only breed from February to July. 

In conclusion, this animal is a small yet sophisticated animal. For what it does and how it does it. It is also cute for its big eyes, fat body, and round tail.

Author: Mariah M

Published: 02/2012

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat-tailed_Dunnart
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/40541/0

Photo Credit:
http://www.blueanimalbio.com/mammalia/daiyou/Sminthopsis%20crassicaudata.jpg