Ooldea dunnart

Ooldea dunnart[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Dasyuromorphia
Family:	Dasyuridae
Genus:	Sminthopsis
Species:	S. ooldea
Binomial name
Sminthopsis ooldea Troughton, 1965
Ooldea dunnart range

The Ooldea dunnart (Sminthopsis ooldea), also called Troughton's dunnart after the person who found the species, is an Australian marsupial similar to the hairy-footed dunnart. It is greyish-yellow on its upper body and white on the underside with dark patches on its crown, forehead and in front of the eyes, and a pink thinly furred carrot-shaped tail. Its total length is 11.5–17.3 cm (4.5–6.8 in); its average body length is 5.5–8 cm (2.2–3.1 in) with a tail of 6–9.3 cm (2.4–3.7 in). Its ear length is 14–17 mm (0.55–0.67 in). It weighs between 10 and 18 g (0.35 and 0.63 oz).

The Ooldea dunnart is found from the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory, south to Ooldea in South Australia and east to neighbouring areas of Western Australia. The type of habitat it inhabits includes arid eucalypt and acacia woodlands, heathlands mallee scrub and hummock grasslands, low shrubland, open scrub and tall open shrubland.

The Ooldea dunnart has eight young between September and November but, since the species is not much studied, not much more is known. It is nocturnal and has been found in burrows and hollow logs.

It is believed, from evidence gathered, that this species eats insects.

• Menkhorst, P.; Knight, F. (2001). A field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford Press. ISBN 0-19-550870-X.

• Australian Biological Resources Study^{[permanent dead link]}