Dasykaluta rosamondae (Ride, 1964)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Dasyuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 232-348 : 291-292

4.

Kaluta

Dasykaluta rosamondae

French: Kaluta / German: Rote BreitfulR-Beutelmaus / Spanish: Kaluta

Other common names: Little Red Antechinus, Little Red Kaluta

Taxonomy. Antechinus rosamondae Ride, 1964 , Woodstock Station (via Marble Bar ), 21° 35° S, 119° E, Western Australia, Australia.

This is a small, strikingly rufous dasyurid, described in 1964 from a series of specimens collected on Woodstock Station and nearby locales in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Appropriately, the specific name alludes to the red-haired Rosamund Clifford, a mistress of the King Henry II of England, who was hidden away in the royal manor behind an elaborate maze. Dasykaluta rosamondae was originally classified in the genus Antechinus , along with a suite of other dasyurids that have since been placed in separate genera. In 1982, however, P. A. Woolley revealed that penile morphology of D. rosamondaewas distinct; concurrent genetic work indicated that it was in fact not closely related to Antechinus, In light of such data, in the same year, M. Archer proposed the monotypic genus, Dasykaluta , to account for rosamondae . Recent studies of mtDNA and nDNA indicated that D. rosamondae is indeed genetically distinct; in some phylogenies,it was resolved as sister to the Dibbler ( Parantechinus apicalis ), admittedly with little confidence. Monotypic.

Distribution. Australia, in Potter I, the Pilbara region, Carnarvon Basin, and Little Sandy Desert of Western Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 9.5-11 cm (males) and 9-10 cm (females), tail 5.5-7 cm (males) and 6.6-5 cm (females); weight 25-40 g (males) and 20-30 g (females). There is subtle sexual dimorphism for size. The Kaluta is russet brown to coppery above and below with rather rough fur. Head and ears are short. Forepaws are strong and well haired on the back. General form of the Kaluta is similar to mulgaras ( Dasycercus ), but the Kaluta is easily distinguished by its smaller size, color, and lack of black hair on the tail.

Habitat. Hummock grasslands, including dense spinifex (7 riodia lanigera , Poaceae ) thickets, sandy plains, clay plains, undulating stony clay plains, gently inclined footslopes, scree slopes, and hill country. Spinifex is a fire-resistant grass and relatively unpalatable to domestic sheep, which may help safeguard areas of suitable habitat within the restricted distribution of the Kaluta.

Food and Feeding. The Kaluta is predominantly nocturnal, feeding voraciously on insects and small vertebrates such as lizards. It is inquisitive and has a curious habit of flicking its thick, tapering tail in the air while investigating its surroundings.

Breeding. The Kaluta is one of a group of dasyurids (including all species of Antechinus and Phascogale ) in which all males die shortly after their first brief mating season; this mortality is probably induced by stress. Mating of Kalutas occurs in September, and young are born c.7 weeks later in November. Female Kalutas have eight teats, all of which may be occupied by young. Laboratory-reared young are weaned 3-5-4 months old in February-March, and juveniles appear in the field at this time. Young are able to breed by the following September. Although males breed in a single season, some females may breed in at least two, but no more than one litter is produced in each breeding season. In one field study, only adult females andjuveniles were encountered in January-February surveys. Adult male and female Kalutas were caught in June, and no juveniles were present. This study confirmed male die-off and approximate synchronicity of mating of Kalutas.

Activity patterns. Unlike most dasyurids, wild and captive Kalutas are almost exclusively diurnal; they retreat into underground burrows during the night. Despite being active during warmer parts of the day, Kalutas apparently enter torpor in every 24hourcycle; however, one study found that torpor patterns differed remarkably between males and females. Females spent most of the night torpid at body temperatures as low as 21°C, close to ambient soil temperature, whereas males entered multiple short and shallow bouts of torpor (at about 25°C) during the night. This study found that males maintained higher body temperatures during early morning when active, occupied larger home ranges, and covered greater distances while foraging than females. Thus, male Kalutas appear to expend more energy than similar-sized females while foraging and during rest.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In one field study conducted 5 km west of South Hedland in the Pilbara of Western Australia, Kalutas were still being caught in high numbers during the last days of the trapping program; thus, there were most likely many more individuals in the area that had not been caught. Number of individuals caught indicated a density of more than 1-9 ind/ha, with a catch rate of 4 ind/ 100 trap nights for all surveys. Other studies of Kalutas have had lower trapping success. Another survey of the Abydos Plain used both pit and Elliott traps and recorded 0-08-1-2 ind/100 trap nights when sampled over seven survey periods. In this study, the highest catch rate was in March (1-2 ind/100 trap nights). Assuming that Kalutas prey on small rodents and marsupials, one explanation for the high densities may be the high numbers of the Sandy Inland Mouse ( Pseudomys hermannsburgensis ), which is also caught in the area. One study caught 30 Kalutas, four House Mice ( Mus musculus ), eight Sandy Inland Mice, and one Fat-tailed Pseudantechinus ( Pseudantechinus macdonnellensis ) in trapping at foursites in the Pilbara. Another study caught 40 Kalutas, 63 House Mice, 36 Pilbara Ningauis (Ningaw: timealeyt), 66 Sandy Inland Mice, and twelve other small, prey-sized mammals. Comparatively, the ratio of Kalutas to other prey-size small mammals was lower than the 395 Kalutas to 1212 Sandy Inland Mice and 179 House Mice caught during the Port Headland, Pilbara study.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Kaluta is present in Karlamilyi (= Rudall River) and Kennedy Range national parks. There are apparently no major conservation threats to the Kaluta.

Bibliography. Archer (1982c), How & Cooper (2002), Kortner et al. (2010), Ride (1964), Thompson & Thompson (2008), Westerman et al. (2007), Woolley (1982, 1991a, 2008c).

Figures

On following pages: 29. Black-tailed Antechinus (Antechinus arktos); 30. Fawn Antechinus (Antechinus bellus); 31. Yellow-footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes), 32. Atherton Antechinus (Antechinus godmani); 33. Cinnamon Antechinus (Antechinus leo); 34. Swamp Antechinus (Antechinus minimus); 35. Buff-footed Antechinus (Antechinus mysticus); 36. Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartil); 37. Subtropical Antechinus (Antechinus subtropicus); 38. Dusky Antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii).