Australia’s carnivorous marsupials are not limited to the renowned Tasmanian Devil or spotted-tailed quoll. A wide variety of marsupials also inhabit mainland Australia’s diverse ecosystems, with some being smaller than mice!  

A team of researchers from the Western Australian Museum and QUT (in Brisbane) have discovered two new species of planigales, Australia’s tiniest carnivorous marsupials.

Discovered in different areas of the Pilbara region in north-west Australia, one of the new species is named the orange-headed Pilbara planigale (Planigale kendricki), and the other is the cracking-clay Pilbara planigale (P. tealei) - bringing the total of known planigale species in mainland Australia to six.

Dr Linette Umbrello, WA Museum Research Associate, researcher with QUT, and lead author of the paper describing the species, said planigales are captivating animals.

“They are nocturnal, insectivorous (insect eating) marsupials that, despite weighing less than five grams (lighter than a teaspoon of water), are formidable hunters tackling prey as large as themselves.

“The name planigale means ‘flat weasel’ referring to their flat heads that enable them to traverse small cracks in their habitat,” Dr Umbrello said.

“The Planigale kendricki is the longest and largest of the two species, with an orange-coloured head and a longer, sharper snout. The Planigale tealei weighs up to four grams and has darker clay-coloured skin.”

Planigale kendricki. Photo R. Teale © WA Museum

The late Dr Ken Aplin, previous WA Museum taxonomist, led the process of analysing specimens in the Museum’s Collection, with the sequencing of their DNA highlighting the potential of the two species being new to science.

Scientists continued building on Dr Aplin’s work, completing the species’ descriptions, and submitting the research for publication.

With habitat loss and climate change creating a vulnerable period for Australian fauna, Dr Umbrello said the discoveries and publication are a significant step in mammalogy.

“Throughout Australia, planigales play an important ecological role, ranging from managing insect populations and providing food for larger species.

"With Australia leading the world in mammal extinctions it’s vital we describe all of Australia’s mammals before it’s too late."

The new research paper, Hiding in plain sight: two new species of diminutive marsupial (Dasyuridae: Planigale) from the Pilbara, Australia was published in Zootaxa.