Rehabilitate Wallabies & Other Native Wildlife

Look at this exquisite and perfect little face. It belongs to an animal that very few people have heard about and many often confuse for a mouse:

• They are the smallest carnivorous marsupials (mammals that carry their offspring in a pouch)

• They are the world’s smallest semelparous mammal (meaning that the males die after their first and only breeding season at around 11months old)

• The family group into which they fall (Dasyuridae) also includes quolls and Tasmanian Devils 

* Females give birth to undeveloped naked young that latch onto teats in the pouch for up to 50 days.

The animal in question is an antechinus.

This little one has been named Adam Ant-echinus. He had become separated from his family group and was found all by himself, weighing in at a massive 2 grams (0.07 of an ounce)! Their snout grows relatively long and narrow as they grow and gives them a shrew like appearence.

Most species nest communially in tree hollows comming out at night to prey on insects, spiders, centipedes and sometimes small frogs. Species vary with adults weighing between 16 - 170gms (0.56 - 6 ounces).

Quite a few of our carers have been called out to rescue these tiny joeys recently and they are all being hand-raised for release when they are older. Adam now weighs 12 grams (0.5 ounces) and has a few more weeks in care.  He will then be released back where he was found by the National Parks ranger that bought him to Sydney Wildlife for hand raising.

Thank you, Margaret, for these gorgeous photos of our little Adam.

On behalf of Sydney Wildlife we would like to thank you for your support during 2020 and wish you a happy and healthy 2021.