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Animal profile

Brown Antechinus

Antechinus stuartii

MammaliaWet and dry sclerophyll forest with abundant fallen timber and tree hollowsLeast Concern

Field profile

The brown antechinus is a mouse-sized insectivorous marsupial with a pointed snout and grey-brown fur. It hunts beetles, spiders and other invertebrates in leaf litter and up tree trunks. Males live barely a year, dying after a single intense breeding season.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-01-17

Brown Antechinus

Every male antechinus dies after one breeding season

Males mate almost continuously for a two-week window, then die within days. The cause is a stress-hormone cascade that suppresses immunity and breaks down body tissue, and it kills the entire male cohort at once.

Read with evidence →

Brown Antechinus | Daily Animal Facts