Dasycercus cristicauda
mulgara

This species inhabits the arid region from the Pilbara in northwestern Australia to southwestern Queensland.

Mulgaras inhabit the arid, sandy regions of Australia. They lives in burrows that they dig on the flats between low sand-dunes or on the slopes of high dunes. The complexity of the burrow varies. Burrows in central Australia usually have only one entrance with two or three side tunnels and numerous pop-holes, while those in Queensland have more than one entrance and deeper branching tunnels.

Head and body length varies from 125 to 220 mm, and tail length is 70 to 130mm. The upper parts of this mammal vary from buffy to bright red brown, and the underparts are usually white or creamy. The pelage is close and soft, and it consists principally of underfur with few guard hairs. The tail is usually thickened for about 2/3 of its length and near the body is densely covered with coarse, chestnut hairs. In the middle, the hairs are coarse and black, and they increase in length toward the tip to form a distinct dorsal crest. This animal is compactly built, with short limbs, a broad head, short ears, and a pointed muzzle. The pouch area consists of only slightly developed lateral skin folds.

Little is known about mating in mulgaras.

Little is known about breeding in the wild, but the breeding season begins in mid May and lasts about six weeks. Gestation is approximately 30 days and the litter size is six to eight. The young first detach from the nipples at about 55 days and are independent at four months. Individuals of both sexes have been known to come into breeding condition each year for six years, suggesting that they are fairly long-lived animals.

Females nurse their young in the pouch and care for them until they reach independence.

Mulgaras are known to live for at least six years in the wild. Some may live longer but mortality is probably highest in young mulgaras.

Mulgaras are terrestrial, but they are capable of climbing. They also seem to be both diurnal and nocturnal, with most foraging occurring at night. A mulgara avoids exposure to heat during the hot part of the day by remaining in its burrow. However, it basks in the sun whenever the opportunity arises. When sunning, the body is flattened against the substrate, and the tail twitches sporadically. In captivity, mulgaras can be kept in pairs, and they generally do not fight among themselves, appearing quite solicitous of each other. A pair of adults received by the National Zoological Park was alive and well after six years.

Mulgaras have keen vision, smell, touch, and acoustic senses. Little is known about how they communicate, but they probably use this full suite of senses in communication, including touch, body postures, chemical cues, and vocalizations.

The diet of mulgaras includes insects, other arthropods, and small vertebrates. Mulgaras are able to consume 25% of their own weight in food and can subsist without drinking water or even eating succulent plants, because it is able to extract sufficient water from a diet of lean meat or mice. A mulgara attacks a mouse and other small vertebrates with lightening speed. It then devours the animal methodically from head to tail, inverting the skin in a remarkably neat fashion. It also is skillfull at dislodging insects from crevices by means of its tiny forepaws.

Mulgaras seek refuge from predators in their burrows and by being vigilant. The primary predators of mulgaras may be large snakes, dingos, and humans.

Mulgaras are important predators of small mammals and arthropods in the ecosystems in which they live.

Mulgaras are important members of the ecosystems in which they live.

There are no negative effects of mulgaras on humans.

Mulgaras ae considered threatened and vulnerable under the EPBC act in Australia. They are very rare in Queensland and South Australia. Their decline may be associated with habitat disturbances caused by the European introduction of livestock, pets, and rabbits. On the other hand, they are common in Northern Territory.