Highly Promiscuous Marsupial Species Found in Australia

A new and highly promiscuous species of mouse-like marsupial found in Australia mates so fervently that a female's typical litter of young is sired by seven fathers.

The marsupial is one of three new species in the genus Antechinus found by Queenland University of Technology mammologist Andrew Baker and his research team.

Their discovery of latest Antechinus species, which they've dubbed the black-tailed Antechinus, took place in the high-altitude regions of Queensland's Springbrook National Park.

The rare mammal's rust colored markings around it eyes, along with a black tail and black feet, were all morphological characteristics that tipped the researchers off to a new species.

"Comparing it to the Dusky Antechinus, which inhabits southeast Australia, we thought it was probably [a new species]," Baker said in a statement.

"When we caught the first black-tailed antechinus in a trap, we knew we were onto something pretty special," he said.

Baker pointed out the black-tailed antechinus' extreme promiscuity as another descriptive factor of the marsupial.

"Antechinus males and females are highly promiscuous; males mate for long periods of time with many females to promote their own genes," Baker said. "A single female's brood of young will typically be sired by several fathers.

Despite their fervent mating, not many black-tailed antechinus survive, prompting Baker to seek protection for the new species under Australia's endangered species act.

Baker said that during mating, the males' stress hormones rise dramatically and eventually cause total body shutdown.

"The males all die before their young are born," he said.

While discovering a new mammal species is a rare occurrence - it only happens a few times around the world each year - Baker said that the rich biodiversity of Queensland's Springbrook National Park leads him to believe that there are more new species to be identified in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"It would not surprise me if there are other animals that are new in that area," he said. "Such things are about place not species."

Baker and his colleagues published a description of the new species in the journal Zootaxa.