Julia Creek Dunnart
They are a marsupial that is nocturnal and carnivorous, and is the biggest of the dunnarts and they have a buffy brown upper side and white underside. They have an average body length of 100–135 mm with a tail of 60–105 mm to make a total length of 160–240 mm. Its weight is between 40-70 g. The length of the hind foot is 22–24 mm. The species has a dark brown triangle colour from above and below the eye with the point at the nose, and another dark stripe on top of the skull. A healthy dunnart has a carrot-shaped tail filled with fat stores. It almost became extinct before being discovered in the 1930s. It was rediscovered in 1992.
Habitat
Typically found on 8000 km² in the Mitchel Grass downs of riparian grasslands, between Julia Creek and Richmond in Queensland, it possibly occurs in the Mitchell Plateau of Western Australia. The prickly acacia is a threat to its habitat as it kills native grasslands. Cultivation and introduced species also threaten this dasyurid's habitat.
Diet
They are insectivores and eat different insects (silverfish, cockroaches, slaters and crickets), skinks, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and long-tailed planigales.
Breeding
Very little is known about the mating behavior in Julia Creek dunnarts. It is known that they breed in spring and summer. They make nests in grass tussocks, within dense cover. Two litters may be produced during an extended season if the environmental conditions are suitable. Gestation lasts 13 days and litters typically number eight. In captivity, females reach maturity at 17–27 weeks but may extend mating into a third year. The males reach maturity from 28–31 weeks, the females maturing earlier then males from the same litter. The later maturity of males may be a means of limiting inbreeding in small populations.
Population
No estimate of population size is available for this species, but it is very sparsely distributed within its range and scattered. Currently this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing. They were last assessed on 15th June 2015 and there was about 20,000 mature individuals.
Threats
Exotic predators (especially cats and foxes), grazing by sheep and cattle, as well as the presence of the prickly acacia have all been implicated as major threats to the species. Cats have been shown to prey heavily on Julia Creek Dunnarts. Introduced prickly acacia excludes an ample understorey for the species. Experiments eliminating grazing by sheep have shown to have little effect on the species, but there is some question about the methods used and the effects of cattle grazing are unknown. A recent study of habitat suitability, however, found that increased ground cover (in the absence of prickly acacia) and low levels of grazing were highly correlated with habitat suitability.
Conservation
The Julia Creek Dunnart is listed as a threatened species under Australian law. It is present in several protected areas. A recovery plan has been developed for the 2000-2004 period, and an updated recovery plan is being drafted. Recommendations from the current recovery plan, include: surveying to improve knowledge of the current distribution and critical habitat; studying the ecology and habitat requirements of the species; managing threats at key sites; developing management agreements with private landowners for the benefit of the species; maintaining the current captive breeding programs at The University of Queensland Gatton Campus; and promoting community awareness, support, and participation in the recovery of the species.