Marsupial Spotlight: Fat-Tailed Dunnart

The fat-tailed dunnart is very small when compared to its other marsupial cousins. They usually don't get much bigger than 3.5 inches long. Marsupials are known for being very big, but this little mouse-like creature is a strong exception to that rule. They do, however have nice, big ears and, of course, their tails are quite special as you shall soon see. They can be found in a very good portion of Australia and are closely related to the quoll and Tasmanian devil.

Fat-tailed dunnarts are strict carnivores. They are known to devour beetles, spider larvae. small reptiles, and also amphibians. It is a little surprising to see a marsupial so tiny keep away from plant life, but there it is.

It must also be said that this marsupial generally lives in some extreme, semi-arid environments; although, it can live just fine in a nicer place. It has a a sort of daily plan programmed into it so that it knows how to react to every part of the day. It usually rests at night when the temperatures are low. High temperatures can cause energy loss problems, and it's body takes heavy advantage of this lull. In the day time, it spends as much time eating as it can. If there are food shortages, it will go on a far more intense feeding frenzy in order to make up for it. If there is food out there, the fat-tailed dunnart WILL find it.

The fat-tailed dunnart is all about balancing exertion with rest--basically energy management. That is also where the fat tail comes in. The dunnart's tail is swelled at the base and thins out towards the tip. Fat is stored here to make up for unforeseen imbalances in nature. It allows the marsupial to adapt easier whenever it needs to. Remember that, in the wild, animals are more likely to have a problem with a loss of resources than with an overabundance. The fat tail is a good safeguard against the more likely problem. After all, the fat-tailed dunnart is, by its very nature, a model survivor.

And here we come to the fiction portion of the blog. No, I could not find any dunnarts in any books or movies. Few marsupials get the literary treatment, but here, I think there may just be a missed opportunity. By now, you must see that the fat-tailed dunnart represents the epitome of the survivalist. To make a "Tremors" reference, they are the "Burt Gummer" of the marsupial class. Put them into almost any environment, and they will do everything and anything to stay alive, and you can imagine how hard that can be when your only 3 inches big. Nothing is wasted; every last resource will be used to its fullest. A hardcore survivalist--that is the fat-tailed dunnart as a person.

I do find it strange that I am inventing such a strong-willed character after something so small, but you have to remember that all sizes are relative to their unique environments. Even we have, in the past, had to deal with creatures larger than ourselves. We have also thrived in the most unfriendly of environments. We adapt better than anything else, but the fat-tailed dunnart is not that far off. In fact, they live every day under the oppressive world that surrounds it... and it lives.

Thank you for reading this blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Bring it!