A dunnart (from Noongar donat[1]) is a narrow-footed marsupial the size of a European mouse, of the genus Sminthopsis. Dunnarts have a largely insectivorous diet. Fat-tailed dunnart in its natural habitat.

Dunnarts are small nocturnal mouse-sized marsupials found across Australia. Nineteen different species are found in habitats ranging from tropical savanna grasslands to desert sandhills and dense forests of Australia’s southeast and southwest. The greatest diversity of dunnart species occurs in the dry inland areas.

Sometimes mistakenly called marsupial mice, dunnarts are actually more like quolls and mulgaras – fellow members of the Dasyuridae family. A dunnart’s tail is often nearly as long as its body and they have big black eyes, long whiskers, large ears and sharp teeth. Their furry coats can be sandy, grey or brown, depending on the species.

The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a species of mouse-like marsupial of the Dasyuridae, the family that includes the little red kaluta, quolls, and the Tasmanian devil.

Dunnarts are nocturnal carnivores eating everything from insects and spiders to larger prey like small lizards, frogs, and even other small mammals. Their large eyes give them excellent night vision to help them hunt. They are even known to specifically hunt wolf spiders to reduce competition for the insects they love to eat.

Light brown to grey fur with darker fur on its head and neck. The underparts and feet are lighter in colour. Large rounded ears. A thin tail almost the same length as its body. Males weigh up to 40 grams; females up to 25 grams. Common Dunnart, Sminthopsis murina. Image: Michael Pennay© CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

The sandhill dunnart is commonly known as a species of "marsupial mouse". The genus name of dunnart was likely derived from the Noongar word "danard". [5] It is the second largest of the 19 dunnart (Sminthopsis) species, with an adult body mass of up to 30 g (1.1 oz) for females and 55 g (1.9 oz) for males. [6]Adults are usually 10 to 16 cm (3.9 to 6.3 in) long.

The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a species of mouse-like marsupial of the Dasyuridae, the family that includes the little red kaluta, quolls, and the Tasmanian devil. It has an average body length of 60–90 millimeters (2.4–3.5 in) with a tail of 45–70 millimeters (1.8–2.8 in).

There are nineteen known dunnart species found across Australia, in a variety of habitats such as woodlands, dry sclerophyll forest, grasslands and deserts. The fat-tailed dunnart is widespread and found in most of inland Southern Australia, and this is the species involved in my research.

The slender-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis murina), also known as the common dunnart in Australia, is a dasyurid marsupial. It has an average body length of 7 to 12 centimeters (2.8–4.7 in) with a tail length of 5.5 to 13 centimetres (2.2–5.1 in).