‘Shrew-like’ creatures – with pouches and long tails – are new species in the outback

When picturing the marsupials of the Australian outback, kangaroos, koalas and Tasmanian devils are likely to spring to mind.

But these iconic creatures represent only a small fraction of the many pouched mammals that populate the land down under.

Perhaps lesser known — not least because you might literally overlook them — are the planigales, some of the smallest of all marsupials.

These “shrew-like” animals can weigh less than a nickel, though their diminutive size should not fool anyone. They’re out for blood and prey on other animals or insects.

No heavier than an AAA battery

Upon their discovery, the new planigales were named kendricki and tealei — nods to a researcher and a museum supporter.

Kendricki, the larger of the two animals, is distinguished by a ring of orange fur surrounding its eyes. The long-snouted, long-tailed creature can weigh up to 12.5 grams, making it about as heavy as an AAA battery.

Tealei, on the other hand, only grows to weigh a maximum of 6.1 grams and has darker coloring.

Both species have similar pouches, though tealei’s are smaller with less noticeable folds.

The two creatures dwell throughout the arid Pilbara region, though Kendricki appears to prefer low-lying, sandy locales, while tealei favors soil filled with clay.

Hiding in plain sight

Until recently, only five species of planigales were known to exist. Researchers discovered the two “highly distinctive” new species, which had been lying under their very noses, according to a study published on Aug. 14 in the journal Zootaxa.

In fact, the creatures, or at least their remains, had been in the possession of researchers for years, “hiding in plain sight” in museum collections throughout the country.

The specimens were collected up to several decades ago by scientists conducting surveys of Pilbara, a sparsely populated region in Western Australia. At the time, they were lumped in with already identified species.

Thanks to the capabilities provided by genetic screening, researchers were able to run tests on the museum specimens, which included some frozen tissue samples. This process confirmed the identification of the two new species.

The tiny creatures’ discovery is important, researchers said, because it comes at a critical time for mammals of a certain size on the continent.

“This work makes a start at resolving the cryptic diversity within Planigale at a time when small mammals are continuing to decline throughout Australia,” researchers said.

Feral cats, dingoes, land clearance and wildfires are some of the factors that might explain the dwindling populations of tiny mammals, according to a report from the Threatened Species Recovery Hub, a research center partnered with the University of Queensland.

“Safeguarding habitat for small mammals can best be achieved by removing large feral herbivores and improving fire regimes so that fires are smaller and less severe,” the report said.

This story was originally published August 15, 2023 at 6:44 PM with the headline "‘Shrew-like’ creatures – with pouches and long tails – are new species in the outback."