Common Planigale

planigale maculata

The Common Planigale is nocturnal and can be found on the East coast of Australia in moist areas. It is not quite as common as the name implies.This little ball of muscle can at times be found under sheets of old iron left around in grassy woodlands, where it may build its leafy nest.

The Common Planigale is a ferocious hunter, pouncing on its prey that can at times be almost the same size as it, they will even consume house mice although main diet is grasshoppers and spiders. They have approximately 40 very sharp teeth used for shedding its prey such as beetles extracted from cracks in rocks.

The female gives birth to 6-10 young which are carried in a kind of pouch mortality is high as the young grow and find it difficult to fit, even though as they grow the "pouch" will become more open.

Females have a body length of 71-87 mm tail length of 64-82 mm weight 7-15 gram

Males can be larger at 70-100 mm and tail length 61-95mm with a weight of 6-22 gram

Predators are many, cat attacks are common where this species is found near human habitat, please remember to keep your domestic pets safely inside at night so our native nocturnal creatures can co exist in an ever diminishing natural environment .

Readers Digest. "Encyclopedia of Australian Animals"

 

 

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