Mulgara
| Mulgaras | |
|---|---|
| Crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | Dasyuridae |
| Subfamily: | Dasyurinae |
| Tribe: | Dasyurini |
| Genus: | Dasycercus Peters, 1875 |
| Type species | |
| 'Chaetocercus' cristicauda Krefft, 1867
| |
| Species | |
Mulgara are small rat-sized species in the genus Dasycercus. They are marsupial carnivores, related to the Tasmanian devil and quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex grasslands of the Australian arid and semi-arid zones. They are nocturnal, but occasionally "sunbathe" in the entrance of the burrow in which they dwell. Their kidneys are highly developed to excrete extremely concentrated urine to preserve water, as the animals rarely drink.
The generic name Dasycercus means "hairy tail".