Cinnamon antechinus vs Streamside Swordfern

Antechinus leo compared with Nephrolepis rivularis

Key Differences

• Cinnamon antechinus is Least Concern while Streamside Swordfern is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinnamon antechinus	Streamside Swordfern
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Dasyuromorphia (Dasyuromorphia)	Polypodiales (Polypodiales)
Family	Dasyuridae	Nephrolepidaceae
Genus	Antechinus	Nephrolepis
Species	Antechinus leo	Nephrolepis rivularis

Conservation Status

Cinnamon antechinus

LC — Least Concern

Streamside Swordfern

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinnamon antechinus	Streamside Swordfern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinnamon antechinus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Streamside Swordfern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Colombia, and Cuba.

Cinnamon antechinus

The cinnamon antechinus (Antechinus leo) is a small marsupial in the family Dasyuridae, endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia, particularly the Cape York Peninsula. It inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforest and forest margins at low elevations, sheltering in tree hollows, dense vine tangles, and fallen logs. Like all antechinuses, it is a specialist insectivore, consuming beetles, cockroaches, moths, and other invertebrates, and occasionally small lizards. The cinnamon antechinus is named for its rich cinnamon-brown dorsal fur. A remarkable feature shared by all antechinus species is semelparous reproduction: males undergo a catastrophic physiological decline and die shortly after a brief, intense mating season in winter, leaving only the pregnant females to carry the population into the next generation. This extreme reproductive strategy results in completely male-free populations for most of the year. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations within Cape York's relatively intact tropical forest. However, like all antechinuses, it faces threats from feral predators (cats and foxes), habitat degradation, and altered fire regimes. Climate change poses a long-term risk by shrinking the cool, moist forest habitats this species depends on. Genetic studies of Australian antechinuses have revealed considerable cryptic diversity.