Cinnamon antechinus vs Western Thyme Plume

Antechinus leo compared with Merrifieldia tridactyla

Key Differences

• Cinnamon antechinus is Least Concern while Western Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinnamon antechinus	Western Thyme Plume
Kingdom same	Animalia (животные)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Chordata (хордовые)	Arthropoda (членистоногие)
Class	Mammalia (млекопитающие)	Insecta (насекомые)
Order	Dasyuromorphia (Хищные сумчатые)	Lepidoptera (чешуекрылые)
Family	Dasyuridae	Pterophoridae
Genus	Antechinus	Merrifieldia
Species	Antechinus leo	Merrifieldia tridactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Cinnamon antechinus and Western Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (животные)

Conservation Status

Cinnamon antechinus

LC — Least Concern

Western Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinnamon antechinus	Western Thyme Plume
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinnamon antechinus

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Western Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (5 countries) and Europe (28 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.