Phascogale

Phascogale
Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Dasyuromorphia
Family:	Dasyuridae
Subfamily:	Dasyurinae
Tribe:	Phascogalini
Genus:	Phascogale Temminck, 1824
Type species
Didelphis penicillata Shaw, 1800 (= Vivera tapoatafa, F. Meyer, 1793
Species
P. tapoatafa P. calura

The Phascogales (members of the eponymous genus Phascogale), also known as Wambengers, are carnivorous Australian marsupials of the family Dasyuridae. There are two species: the Brush-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) and the Red-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale calura). As with a number of dasyurid species, the males live for only one year, dying after a period of frenzied mating. The term Phascogale was coined in 1824 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in reference to the Brush-tailed Phascogale, and means "pouched weasel".

Life cycle

Mating generally happens between May and July. All males die soon after mating. Females give birth to about 6 young ones about 30 days after mating. Young stay in a pouch for about 7 weeks before being moved to a nest where they stay until they are weaned at about 20 weeks of age. Females live for about 3 years, and generally produce one litter.

References

• Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M, eds. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 31-32. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 

External links

• Brush-tailed Phascogale
• Brush-tailed Phascogale
• Red-tailed Phascogale
• Red-tailed Phascogale