Register      Login
Australian Journal of Zoology Australian Journal of Zoology Society
Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > ZO > ZO08057
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 56(3)

Planigales (Marsupialia : Dasyuridae) of eastern Australia’s interior: a comparison of morphology, distributions and habitat preferences, with particular emphasis on South Australia

Mark J. Blacket A D , Catherine Kemper B and Robert Brandle C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Genetics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3086, Australia. Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.

B South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.

C National Parks and Wildlife South Australia, Kensington, SA 5068, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: mblacket@unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Zoology 56(3) 195-205 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO08057
Submitted: 10 July 2008  Accepted: 1 October 2008   Published: 27 November 2008

Abstract

Correct species identification is an essential step in characterising an organism’s geographic range and ecological requirements. In this study the morphology, distribution and habitat preferences of eastern Australia’s three species of inland planigales, Planigale ingrami, P. tenuirostris and P. gilesi, were compared, particularly to establish consistent differences between the morphologically similar Planigale ingrami and P. tenuirostris, which earlier molecular evidence had suggested were easily misidentified. Specimens that had previously been characterised genetically were examined to find diagnostic morphological characters for each species. External measurements indicated that P. tenuirostris was larger than P. ingrami, but size ranges overlap considerably. Several external characters, including basal width of the supratragus and foot morphology, differentiate each species; however tail length was not a reliable distinguishing character. Bivariate plots of several skull characters also enabled species identification. Competition within each species may be reduced by sexual dimorphism in dental morphology, while differences in skull shape may indicate past character displacement between Planigale species. In South Australia P. ingrami and P. tenuirostris are broadly sympatric with P. gilesi but not with each other. There appears to be ecological habitat separation between all three species, with P. ingrami being the most restricted in distribution and habitat requirements, P. gilesi occurring in similar habitats but in a wider range of vegetation communities, and P. tenuirostris being the least tied to flood-prone habitats.


Acknowledgements

During the course of this study MB was supported by an Australian Museum Collection Fellowship. Michael Archer, Sandy Ingleby and Tish Ennis (Australian Museum) kindly provided assistance and access to specimens, Mathew Crowther (University of Sydney) and Michael Kearney (University of Melbourne) provided assistance with statistics, Nicole Kearney (Museum of Victoria) assisted with measuring specimens, and Kate Blacket assisted in preparing Fig. 5. Clayton Glen photographed the pes in Fig. 6. We also thank Michael Westerman (La Trobe University) and anonymous referees for their constructive comments.


References

Aitken, P. F. (1972). Planigale gilesi (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae): a new species from the interior of south eastern Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum 16, 1–14.
Andrew D. L. , and Settle G. A. (1982). Observations on the behaviour of species of Planigale (Dasyuridae: Marsupialia) with particular reference to the narrow nosed planigale (Planigale tenuirostris). In ‘Carnivorous Marsupials’. (Ed. M. Archer.) pp. 311–324. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

Archer, M. (1975). Ningaui, a new genus of tiny dasyurids (Marsupialia) and two new species, N. timealeyi and N. ridei, from arid Western Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 17, 237–249.
Brandle R. (1998). Biological survey of the stony deserts in South Australia. Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs, Adelaide.

Brandle R. (2001). A biological survey of the Flinders Ranges, South Australia 1997–1999. Biodiversity Survey and Monitoring, National Parks and Wildlife, South Australia, Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide.

Briggs, S. V. (1996). Native small mammals and reptiles in cropped and uncropped parts of lakebeds in semi-arid Australia. Wildlife Research 23, 629–636.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Denny M. J. S. (1982). Review of Planigale (Dasyuridae, Marsupialia) ecology. In ‘Carnivorous Marsupials’. (Ed. M. Archer.) pp. 131–138. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

Gibson D. F. (1986). A biological survey of the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory. Technical Report No. 30. Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, Alice Springs.

Haythornthwaite, A. S. , and Dickman, C. R. (2006). Distribution, abundance, and individual strategies: a multi-scale analysis of dasyurid marsupials in arid central Australia. Ecography 29, 285–300.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Heard L. , and Channon B. (1997). Guide to a native vegetation survey using the biological survey of South Australia. Geographic Analysis and Research Unit, Department for Housing, Urban Development, Adelaide.

Heinsohn, G. E. (1970). World’s smallest marsupial the flat-headed marsupial mouse. Animals 13, 220–222.
Luckett W. P. (1993). An ontogenetic assessment of dental homologies in therian mammals. In ‘Mammal Phylogeny; Mesozoic Differentiation, Multituberculates, Monotremes, Early Therians, and Marsupials’. (Eds F. S. Szalay, M. J. Novacek and M. C. McKenna) pp. 182–204. (Springer-Verlag: New York.)

McDonald R. C. , Isbell R. F. , Speight J. G. , Walker J., and Hopkins M.S. (1990). ‘Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Hand Book’. 2nd edn. (Inkata Press.)

McFarland D. (1992). Fauna of the Channel Country biogeographic region, south west Queensland. Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and Heritage, Brisbane.

McGreevy, D. G. (1987). Mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians of the Bulloo Shire, Queensland. Queensland Journal of Agricultural and Animal Sciences 44, 75–93.
Owens H. (2000). ‘Guidelines for Vertebrate Surveys in South Australia: using the Biological Survey of South Australia’. (National Parks and Wildlife SA: Adelaide.)

Painter, J. , Krajewski, C. , and Westerman, M. (1995). A molecular phylogeny of planigales. Journal of Mammalogy 76, 406–413.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Read D. G. (1995 a). Giles’ planigale Planigale gilesi. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. (Ed. R. Strahan.) pp. 107–109. (The Australian Museum & Reed Books: Sydney.)

Read D. G. (1995 b). Narrow-nosed planigale Planigale tenuirostris. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. (Ed. R. Strahan.) pp. 113–115. (The Australian Museum & Reed Books: Sydney.)

Reid J. , and Gillen J. (Eds) (1988). ‘The Coongie Lakes Study.’ (Department of Environment and Planning: Adelaide.)

Smith M. J. , and Medlin G. C. (1982). Dasyurids of the northern Flinders ranges before pastoral development. In ‘Carnivorous Marsupials’. (Ed. M. Archer.) pp. 563–572. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Sydney.)

SPSS (2006). SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Release 15.0.0. (6 September 2006).

Troughton, E. (1928). A new genus, species, and subspecies of marsupial mice (Family Dasyuridae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 16, 281–288.
Van Dyck S. M. (1995). Long-tailed planigale Planigale ingrami. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. (Ed. R. Strahan.) pp. 110–111. (The Australian Museum & Reed Books: Sydney.)

Wauchope, J. (1984). The Narrow-nosed planigale, Planigale tenuirostris, from the southern Flinders Ranges. South Australian Naturalist 58, 40–44.


Woolley, P. A. (1974). The pouch of Planigale subtilissima and other dasyurid marsupials. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 57, 11–15.


Woolley, P. A. , Westerman, M. , and Krajewski, C. (2007). Interspecific affinities within the genus Sminthopsis (Dasyuromorphia: Dasyuridae) based on morphology of the penis: congruence with other anatomical and molecular data. Journal of Mammalogy 88, 1381–1392.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |




Appendix 1. Details of specimens examined from the collections of the Australian (AM) and South Australian (SAM) Museums

■ = external characters examined, ◆ = skull examined and included in PCA (Fig. 2), ● = molecular examination performed (Blacket et al. 2000). Holotypes of each species are indicated in bold. Data provided are: registration number, locality, sex

Planigale ingrami

SAM M17886■◆●, Dudinna Well, SA, M; SAM M17887■◆●, Dudinna Well, SA, M; SAM M17888■◆●, Dudinna Well, SA, M; SAM M17892■●, Kachumba Waterhole, SA, F; SAM M17907■◆●, Elbow Well, SA, F; SAM M18158■◆●, MacLennan Tank, SA, F; SAM M19729■◆●, Murda Hill, SA, F; SAM M19734■●, Murda Hill, SA, M; SAM M14031■, Coongie Homestead, SA, M; SAM M14032■, Coongie Homestead, SA, F; SAM M17893■, Kachumba Waterhole, SA, F; SAM M17906■, Elbow Well, SA, M; SAM M17908■, Elbow Well, SA, M; SAM M18159■, MacLennan Tank, SA, M; SAM M19122■◆, Table Hill, SA, M; AM M4744■◆, 200 km west of Burketown, NT; AM M5021■◆, 200 km west of Burketown, NT; AM M2174■◆, Wyangarie, Qld; AM M29105◆, Cannington Station, Qld; AM M34153■◆, Near McKinlay, Qld.

Planigale tenuirostris

SAM M17139■◆●, Cockrum Dams, SA, F; SAM M17473■●, Mt Crispe, SA, F; SAM M17871■●, Toopawarinna Hill, SA, M; SAM M18253■●, Apollo Bore, SA, F; SAM M18446■●, Mungutana Dam, SA, M; SAM M18480■◆●, Binda Bounda Hill, SA, M; SAM M18558■●, Mount Goodiar, SA, M; SAM M18745■◆●, New Years Gift Bore, SA, F; SAM M18865■●, Wompinie, SA, M; SAM M18866■●, Old Lake Dismal, SA, M; SAM M19090■●, Laurie Bank, SA, F; SAM M19101■●, Welcome Well, SA, F; SAM M19215■●, Parks Camp Waterhole, SA, M; AM M3933■◆, Bourke or Wilcannia, NSW; AM M6957■◆, Cunnamulla, Qld; AM M10600◆, Near Moree, NSW; AM M10601■◆, Near Narrabri, NSW; AM M10610■◆, Near Hillston, NSW; AM M22114◆, Near Tibooburra, NSW; AM M25720■◆, Weddin Mountains NP, NSW; AM M33522◆, Near Belah, NSW.