Sminthopsis leucopus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DASYUROMORPHIA	DASYURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sminthopsis leucopus

Species Authority:

(Gray, 1842)

Common Name/s:

English	–	White-footed Dunnart
French	–	Souris Marsupiale À Pieds Blancs

Synonym/s:

Antechinomys leucopus Gray, 1842

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable C2a(i)b ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Lunney, D., Menkhorst, P. & Burnett, S.

Evaluator/s:

Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Vulnerable as the species is thought to number less than 10,000 mature individuals, and no subpopulation is thought to number more than 1,000 individuals. The subpopulations are also known to undergo extreme fluctuations in numbers.

History:

1996

–

Data Deficient

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to Australia, where it has been recorded from southern Victoria, south-eastern New South Wales, and Tasmania (except in the south-west), including also Cape Barren, East Sister, and West Sister Islands. An outlier population occurs in north-eastern Queensland at above 750 m, where it is known from only three specimens (Menkhorst 2001; Lunney 2008).
Countries:	Native: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria)
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species is infrequently recorded, despite intensive survey work, and may have a sparse and patchy distribution (Maxwell et al. 1996). The total population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals, with less than 1,000 in New South Wales, less than 2,000 in Victoria, and probably less than 5,000 individuals in Tasmania. The Queensland population is represented by only a few specimens, and the population size there is not well known. The subpopulations of the species undergo extreme fluctuations in numbers, regularly going through boom and bust phases, although no subpopulation is estimated to number more than 100 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

This species is infrequently recorded, despite intensive survey work, and may have a sparse and patchy distribution (Maxwell et al. 1996). The total population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals, with less than 1,000 in New South Wales, less than 2,000 in Victoria, and probably less than 5,000 individuals in Tasmania. The Queensland population is represented by only a few specimens, and the population size there is not well known. The subpopulations of the species undergo extreme fluctuations in numbers, regularly going through boom and bust phases, although no subpopulation is estimated to number more than 100 individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	In Tasmania, the White-footed Dunnart occurs in most vegetation types. On the mainland, it occurs in forests and woodlands with an open understorey of low density vegetation (Lunney 2008). It has been recorded in grassy fore-dune complexes in Victoria. In Queensland, it occurs in primary and secondary upland rainforest (Lunney 2008). The species is terrestrial and nocturnal.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This is an early-mixed successional stage species and it has not been recorded from re-growth forest (Maxwell et al. 1996). Inappropriate fire regimes may result in some declines.

Major Threat(s):

This is an early-mixed successional stage species and it has not been recorded from re-growth forest (Maxwell et al. 1996). Inappropriate fire regimes may result in some declines.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The White-footed Dunnart is present in a number of protected areas. The Queensland population is within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. There is a need to delineate distribution and ecology of this northern Queensland population and to research its taxonomic status. Populations in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania should be monitored, particularly in areas subject to disturbances which promote dense regrowth (Maxwell et al. 1996).

Conservation Actions:

The White-footed Dunnart is present in a number of protected areas. The Queensland population is within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. There is a need to delineate distribution and ecology of this northern Queensland population and to research its taxonomic status. Populations in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania should be monitored, particularly in areas subject to disturbances which promote dense regrowth (Maxwell et al. 1996).

Citation:	Lunney, D., Menkhorst, P. & Burnett, S. 2008. Sminthopsis leucopus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2010.
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