Antechinus arktos

Antechinus arktos bag is a species of the genus Breitfuß Bag mice.

It was long considered a local form of Antechinus swainsonii mimetes, differs from this species but by the coat color and the larger skull. It was only in February 2014 Antechinus arktos was described as a distinct species.

Antechinus arktos occurs only in the extreme southeast of Queensland and in the north east of New South Wales in the area of the Tweed Volcano. There they live in higher areas with high rainfall. Type locality is the Springbrook National Park south of Brisbane.

Features

The color of Antechinus arktos changes significantly from gray-brown to orange-brown head butt. On top of the hind foot the fur is dark brown gray to black and the tail is covered with dense, short and uniformly black fur. On the upper and lower eyelid, cheek and on the front of the ear, the fur is orange-brown.

Antechinus swainsonii mimetes is instead from head to rump uniformly dark brown - black to gray - brown, with umbrabraunen hair on the top of the hind foot and tail. The skull of Antechinus arktos differs and is significantly larger than the skull of A. s mimetes and A. s swainsonii ( Tasmania ). Genetically Antechinus arktos differ and A. s mimetes significantly (10% in the mitochondrial DNA).

Since Antechinus arktos rather occurs in higher regions and is adapted to the long guard hairs on cooler climate, the species is potentially threatened by global warming.